Good Food Ideas from the Folks at the Ignatius Farm CSA

Good Food Ideas from the folks at the Ignatius Farm CSA

Guelph csa good food ideas acknowledgements

Thank you to all the people who worked so hard to make this cook book possible... To Intern Jenn McArthur (who is the “I” in the recipes) who compiled the recipes, put them in order and typed them all up To Theresa McArthur who shared her family recipes To The Smith Family (Intern Rob McArthur’s family) for some of their family recipes To Catherine Chafe who wrote the CSA cookbook that inspired this one To The World Food Cafe Cookbook for the inspiration behind some of Jenn’s recipes To Ruth Wiederkehn, Pauline MacDonald, Mary Sojczynski, Amy Proulx, Nancy Britton and Heather Lekx for contributing recipes To Kerry Daly and Nancy Britton for their careful proofreading and not photocopying any recipes before the book came out! To Madeleine Theodore for her amazing pencil illustrations of the veggies, and our great and happy organic farmer To Sarah J. Clark for putting it all together into the finished design

We hope that you enjoy using and sharing these recipes and that you are inspired to create new ones to add to future books.

1 About Saint Ignatius Loyola Who was Ignatius of Loyola? Also known as Inigo Lopez de Loyola

Memorial 31 July Profile Spanish nobility. Youngest of twelve children. Court page. Military education. Soldier. Wounded in the leg by a cannonball at the siege of Pampeluna on 20 May 1521, an injury that left him partially crippled for life. During his recuperation the only books he had access to were The Golden Legend, a collection of lives of the saints, and the Life of Christ by Ludolph the Carthusian. These books, and the time spent in contemplation, changed him. On his recovery he took a vow of chastity, hung his sword before the altar of the Virgin of Montserrat, and donned a pilgrim's robes. Lived in a cave from 1522 to 1523. Journeyed to Rome and the Holy Land where he worked to convert Muslims. Studied theology at Alcala and Paris, receiving his degree on 14 March 1534. His meditations, prayers, visions and insights led to forming the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) on 15 August 1534. He travelled Europe and the Holy Lands, then settled in Rome to direct the Jesuits. His health suffered in later years, and he was nearly blind at death. The Jesuits today have over 500 universities and colleges, 30,000 members, and teach over 200,000 students each year.

Born 1491 at Loyola, Guipuzcoa, Spain as Inigo Lopez de Loyola Died 31 July 1556 at Rome Beatified 1609 by Pope Paul V Canonized 22 March 1622 by Pope Gregory XV

1 about the Ignatius Jesuit Centre of Guelph Ignatius Jesuit Centre of Guelph - Tradition in Transition The Guelph Centre of Spirituality is 640 acres located at the north edge of the city of Guelph on Highway 6 and consists of farmland, wetland and woodland. This land has been owned by English-Canadian Jesuits since 1913. Originally used as a novitiate for young Jesuits in training, the farm allowed the Jesuits to be partially self-sustaining by providing enough space for a beef and mixed crop operation. The novitiate was active until 1991and at its peak would have had 150 Jesuits living and working on the land. The Jesuit Brothers maintained the farm until 1979 when it was taken over by the Ignatius Farm Community. Established in 1976 The Farm Community’s primary purpose was to bring together an intentional community of lay people, Sisters and Jesuits who had a common interest in living in a spiritual community while working the land. The Farm Community closed in 2001 and the residents dispersed into various communities throughout the country. As time progresses, the use of the land continues to go through a transition. There are now four main purposes on the property. They include the farm, the CSA, Loyola House and the Ecology Project of the Jesuit Centre for Social Faith and Justice. There are nine Jesuits within the remaining community. Five reside on the land and four at the rectory of a local parish, Holy Rosary. The majority of the original building is rented out to a variety of tenants for office space and educational purposes all with the common thread of a respect for and a desire to be part of this beautiful acreage. The Farm The farm is now cared for by a farm manager and his two assistants. The staff are assisted by volunteers and temporary workers including summer and co-op students. In keeping with the philosophy of the Jesuits, about a decade ago the farm started to a move towards organic certification. “We have shifted to natural methods of farming that are more in line with our philosophy of the environment and the land as living spirit.” You may see this reflected in many of the practices used in caring for the land, the crops and the livestock. No synthetic or petroleum- based fertilizers, pesticides, treated seeds, cattle de-wormers, hormones or genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) are used on the property. The Ignatius Farm CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) The Ignatius Farm CSA was started in 2001. CSA’s began in Japan about thirty years ago and were introduced to North America in the 1980's. A CSA is designed to link consumers with farmers in the growing of organic food. A CSA supports farmers by paying them a fair wage and stands behind the use of organic farming practices. Each member commits to a share in the farm and pays for that share in four installments throughout the growing season, thus guaranteeing the farmer income for the season by, in a sense, preselling their harvest. CSA farms are a creative method to keep small farms viable, allowing farmers to stay on their land At the end of the first season a core group was formed to represent the interest of the shareholders. The farm is operated by our farmer, Heather Lekx. She is assisted

1 about the Ignatius Jesuit Centre of Guelph by two interns and a variety of volunteers. With the formation of the core group the CSA now has the farmer, the landholders and the shareholders represented in the future of the CSA. Loyola House Loyola House was built in 1962 with its primary purpose being a spirituality and retreat centre. It is operated by a staff of six directors, three office staff and six support staff and a number of part-time directors. A Director is a person who leads retreats. Directors encompass people from all works of life, some professionals, others member of the clergy and many lay people. They give talks to group retreats and provide individual direction and guidance to retreatants. Loyola House attracts over a thousand people to it each year. The retreat house attracts from all over the globe and may be involved in individual or group retreats that range in length from one to forty days.

The Ecology Project for Social Faith and Justice The project is co-ordinated by James Profit, S.J. and began operation in 2000. The primary purpose of the project is to address eco-justice issues from a faith perspective. A secondary goal is to increase individual and group awareness of faith in the environment. “Our context of operation includes our human responsibility of care for the earth, our christian faith, and the Jesuit tradition of finding god in all things. We foster and promote: an experience of god in creation, a vision of our society that is committed to fostering the health and well-being of the earth community, ne relationships with creation that advocate respect and harmony rather than domination, awareness of the crisis facing the earth and hope- filled response to this, new ways of responding to the biblical call of justice, community of mutual co-operation and celebration that is committed to the poor and suffering of the earth." The Ecology Project collaborates with other faith and environmental groups with similar goals. It sponsors many environmentally based events including lecture series, retreats and workshops in a variety of lengths from a few hours to a week. Other Interests Active at Ignatius Beyond the main aspects of the Centre for Spirituality, our visitors include urban Native people renewing mind, body and spirit at their sweat lodge located on the property, community members who tend to garden plots and volunteers who assist the Jesuits with the care of the land. And each month the Centre is host to groups from surrounding elementary, middle and high schools. Many of these groups take guided tours of the property and enjoy learning more about farming, the environment and ecology. In addition, in an effort to be more ecologically minded and to lessen our dependency on fossil fuels, we have reduced the amount of grass we cut and allowing some parts of the lawns to be naturalized. We encourage biodiversity while managing our land in ways that are respectful of organic practices while providing a safe, welcoming and beautiful environment.

1 csa good food ideas introduction

Introduction

Why a recipe book for the CSA? Simply put, we have made an effort to give you a large variety of vegetables at each pick-up, but we know that a lot of vegetables aren’t particularly common – what exactly do you do with a kohlrabi, anyway? This book hopes to answer that question, and give you a selection of recipes that you can use throughout the season. The recipes are labeled "Full Season", "June/July", "August/September", or "October/November", depending on when the vegetables are available.

We really hope that you enjoy your cookbook this season and that it serves you well in harvests to come!

The Ignatius CSA Farmer A symbol of health, happiness and good things from the field.

A note on measurements:

All of these recipes are extremely forgiving with measurements. Often, I have found myself not using measuring spoons when coming up with them and have had to estimate how much my "pinch" and "handful" are. If you’re comfortable just playing things by ear and adjusting amounts to suit your tastes, feel free. If not, a pinch is probably ½ tsp. or so, while a handful is about ¼ cup loose (i.e not packed down).

1 Appetizers

Pakoras Full Season Tomato Basil Melties August/September Sushi (Maki rolls) July-September Tabouleh August-November Baba Ghanoujh August-September Bruchetta August-September Dipping Kabobs August-September Kale Chips All Season Antipasto August-September 1. Grilled vegetables 2. Herbed tomatoes 3. Prosciutto and melon 4. Black olive tapenade 5. Marinated olives Garlic Bread October/November Roasted Garlic with Brie October/November csa good food ideas appetizers Pakoras Full Season Pakoras are fritters that are ubiquitous throughout India, and make a wonderful snack, served with your favorite chutney. To make them, prepare the batter (recipe from Khalid Aziz who is a native Indian), and take a large slice (or small handful in the case of greens) of a vegetable, dip it in the batter, and fry it in vegetable oil until the batter is cooked and turns a light brown. The following vegetables are recommended (depending on the season): Cauliflower (Gobi pakora), Spinach or other greens (Saag pakora),Turnip, Kohlrabi, Carrot, potato (Aloo pakora), Eggplant (Baigan pakora)

Pakora Batter:

1 ¼ cups yogurt ¼ of a lemon 1 medium onion, diced 1 tsp chili powder ½ tsp. dry mustard 1 ¼ cups chickpea or graham flour*

Combine yogurt, lemon and onion in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add chili powder and mustard. Add the flour slowly with a whisk (it lumps much more readily than wheat flour!) and whip until peaks form. The batter is now ready for dipping and may also be frozen or kept in the refrigerator for a few weeks.

* you can usually get these at an Indian food store and sometimes at health food stores in the bulk section.

Variations: 1) Shredded Pakoras - julienne carrot, eggplant and peppers and coat in batter. Make a small handful of the coated vegetables and fry until the batter is golden brown. This is excellent served with tamarind chutney.

2) Pakora patties - puree 1 carrot, 2 potatoes, 2 cloves garlic, 1 onion and 1-2 chilis (optional) in a blender. Stir in 1 small chopped onion, peas (optional) and cumin seeds. Dip in the pakora batter and fry until golden.

Tomato Basil Melties August/September Heather’s quick summer favourite

On your favourite bread, place a layer of tomato slices, 2-3 basil leaves, and a layer of your favourite cheese. Toast in toaster oven until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

1 csa good food ideas appetizers Sushi (Maki rolls) July-September Sushi always seems intimidating when you see the sushi chefs do it, but it doesn't have to be. Raw fish isn't a requirement (especially in this part of the country where fresh fish is hard to get). The only requirements of sushi are the rice mixture and the Nori sheets to roll it up in. A bunch of recommended fillings for vegetarian sushi are grown right here at the Ignatius farm CSA. Others are also listed that we recommend. Any combination works - be creative and have fun!

CSA-provided veggie fillings: Cucumber (sticks) Snow peas (roasted on the BBQ would be excellent, steamed is also good) Summer squash (sticks) Carrots (sticks - steam them a bit first to reduce the crunch) Peppers (julienned)

Other fillings: Avocado spears (steamed or roasted for a stronger flavour) Pear spears Shitake mushrooms (sliced and sauteed) - these are best rolled with asparagus Pollock (i.e. artificial crab) - use them in the rolls they come in

Sushi rice (1 cup is good for 5 rolls) Nori Sheets (1 per roll) Mirin (sweetened rice wine vinegar), approximately 3 Tbsp/cup of dry sushi rice + more for soaking vegetables

Directions : Cook sushi rice according to package directions - when finished, add 2-3 Tbsp of mirin while it is still hot. Let cool. Chop vegetables into sticks (1/4"x1/4"x3/4") and soak vegetables in mirin (sweetened rice vinegar) while the rice cooks. Rolling procedure: Place 1 sheet nori on a rolling mat (or sheet of saran wrap, though it's a bit more difficult, and the mats are only about $2 at the local oriental grocery). Cover 75% with rice, leaving about an inch at one end - this end will be the "back". Lay the vegetables in strips across the front of the nori, parallel to the edge of the rice. Roll snugly, using a bit of water to seal the roll at the uncovered edge. Serve at room temperature with soy sauce, wasabi (Japanese horseradish) and pickled ginger. These can be refrigerated but will taste much better if allowed to reach room temperature again before serving.

1 csa cooks appetizers Tabouleh August-November This is a great salad by itself, and is excellent served alongside hummus with pita bread. It's also an excellent filler in pita sandwiches such as falafel or with grilled veggies.

½ cup bulgar ¾ cup water dash of salt

1 bunch Parsley (approximately a cup when chopped) - leaves separated and coarsely chopped, stems chopped finely (optional) 1 slicing or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced 1 or 2 green onions (depending on your taste), green parts coarsely chopped, white parts finely chopped

Dressing: 3 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar salt + pepper to taste

Bring water to a boil, and add a dash of salt and the bulgar. Reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Let the bulgar cool. Meanwhile, chop parsley, tomatoes and onions. Add dressing and set aside. When bulgar is cool, add to mixture and stir until coated. Season with salt and pepper. The tabouleh will have a mellow flavour if you let is sit refridgerated prior to serving.

Baba Ghanoujh August-September This is an eggplant dip that makes for a great sandwich spread, or as part of a dip platter with hummus, tabouleh, tzatziki and pita.

1 large eggplant 1-4 cloves garlic (adjust to taste) Juice of 1 lemon 1-2 Tbsp tahini (adjust to taste)

Roast the eggplant in the oven (400 oF for 20-30 minutes) or on the barbecue until soft. Puree the garlic with the tahini and lemon juice until smooth. Scrape the "meat" out of the eggplant and puree with mixture. Serve at room temperature. (It's best immediately, but will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days without a problem).

1 csa good food ideas appetizers Bruchetta August-September 1-2 slicing tomatoes, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 green onion, green parts finely chopped, white parts minced 2 Tbsp olive oil + 1 Tbsp vinegar, or 3 Tbsp italian dressing 1 handful parsley, chopped Some chopped basil too! salt & pepper to taste

1 loaf crusty bread (italian is traditional, multigrain is a neat variation), sliced 1 clove garlic

Parmesan cheese for sprinkling or grated mozzarella (optional, and not traditional)

Combine the first set of ingredients and let marinate for 5 minutes - 3 hours. Rub the crusty bread with garlic and toast lightly. Spoon tomato mixture onto the bread while still hot and top with chopped parsley. It's that easy! Cheese variation 1: after topping with parsley, sprinkle with Parmesan and serve. Cheese variation 2: top with grated mozzarella, broil until cheese is melted, top with parsley and serve.

Dipping kabobs August-September This is a super-easy appetizer and a nice addition to a veggies & dip plate. Simply put the following ingredients (and anything else your heart desires) onto a toothpick or short skewer (a piece of each looks pretty cool) and dip in your favorite dip - ranch dressing or yogurt/sour cream with French onion soup mix are our family favorites. cherry tomatoes cucumber peppers

Kale Chips All Season This was a smash hit from a 2001 CSA newsletter, contributed by Nancy Britton. So simple, so tasty too. Also, try using this technique to dry kale, don’t add any oil, and dry as directed, then just crush up the leaves when done, and store sealed up in a cool dry area. Throw a handful of dried kale into soup, or into any dish like you would for parsley, to add a kick of calcium, and green colour to any dish. Or just gobble the kale up now as tasty crunchy chips. kale leaves olive oil sea salt

Gently brush the kale leaves with oil, and place onto a baking sheet. Place in the oven at 400ºF for about 10 minutes, or until dry and crisp. Sprinkle lightly with salt. So good!

1 csa good food ideas appetizers Antipasto Plate August-September Antipasto literally means "before the pasta" and is a typical appetizer in Italy. This is the best recreation I've come up with of an antipasto platter that I had in Italy. With the exceptions of bread, olives and any cheese or meats you choose, this focuses on CSA-grown veggies and herbs. Enjoy!

Antipasto 1: Grilled vegetables 1 Eggplant (sliced) 1-2 Sweet Bell peppers (cut into eighths) 2-3 Tbsp oil 2-3 Tbsp soy sauce small handful basil leaves (whole - try lemon basil or purple opal basil for a dramatic garnish)

Roast eggplant and peppers by first coating with oil and a splash of soy sauce (keeps the eggplant from absorbing the oil!) and tossing them on the barbeque or in the oven on broil. They should be done in about 10 minutes. When they are, arrange them on a plate (cut eggplant and peppers into slightly smaller pieces) and drizzle with olive oil and fresh basil leaves.

Antipasto 2: Herbed tomatoes Tomatoes (cut into wedges) 2-3 Tbsp fresh basil leaves, oregano leaves, parsley or rosemary

Sprinkle tomatoes with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and an herb of your choice (basil, oregano and rosemary are all highly recommended)

Antipasto 3: Prosciutto and melon (this is usually served seperately and not on the platter, but it's a great use for the melons from the CSA garden!)

16 slices of good Italian Prosciutto (go to a real deli for this - the stuff you'll find in supermarkets just isn't the same) 1 Ripe Canteloupe

Slice canteloupe into thin wedges (about 16 per canteloupe). Wrap each very loosely with a single piece of prosciutto and serve immediately.

Antipasto 4: Black olive tapenade ½ cup black olives 1 Tbsp capers 2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard 1 Clove garlic 1 Tbsp fresh thyme Chop black olives, garlic and capers (food processing works well). Stir in Dijon mustard and fresh thyme. Serve on rounds of toasted Italian bread.

1 csa good food ideas appetizers

Antipasto 5: Marinated olives Black and/or green olives 1 Tbsp. lemon Juice 2-3 Tbsp fresh herbs of your choice (thyme is wonderful!)

Pour lemon juice over olives. If olives are not packed in oil, drizzle some olive oil on them. Allow to marinate while preparing other parts of the antipasto plate. Add chopped herbs about 10 minutes before serving.

Other elements: Small pieces of your favorite cheeses, salamis, etc., -- sliced very thinly! Loaf of fresh bread (if you bake it, toss in a handful of assorted green herbs like oregano, thyme, rosemary and basil)

To assemble your plate, divide your plate into sections and place each "antipasti" element in a separate section. Have a loaf (or two) of fresh Italian-style bread handy, and enjoy!

Garlic Bread October/November This is a classic standby, the way my mom used to make it.

1 loaf crusty bread, sliced mostly through (i.e. the pieces are still attached along the crust) 2-4 cloves garlic, minced 3 Tbsp olive oil or melted butter 1 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs (parsley is wonderful, rosemary is a nice variation)

Combine minced garlic, olive oil or butter and herbs in a small bowl. On every second slice, spread both sides of the bread with the garlic mixture. Broil in the oven or on the BBQ until toasted - about 10 minutes.

Roasted Garlic with Brie October/November This is just about the easiest appetizer around, and it's a real crowd-pleaser, especially on chilly evenings.

1 or 2 baguettes 1 or 2 heads of garlic 1 round of brie

Preheat oven to 400 oF. Wrap garlic head in tinfoil and place on a cookie sheet. Put in to bake for about 30 minutes. Slice the baguette, wrap in tinfoil and heat in at the same time. When the garlic is tender, wrap the brie and put on the cookie sheet with the garlic and bake 10 minutes longer. Serve by having people scoop the very soft garlic out of the husks and spreading it on the bread, followed by a bit of melted brie.

1 ignatius csa cookbook about greens

A brief note on greens

Throughout this cookbook, there will be references both to specific greens (such as kale, spinach or arugula) or to "Asian greens", "salad greens" or just plain old "greens". A wide variety of greens are grown in the CSA and some may be unfamiliar. The purpose of this section is to give you a general idea for what the greens are, what they taste like, how they are generally cooked, and whether they can be frozen.

More robust greens (such as spinach, Asian greens, collards, kale and chard) should be blanched before freezing. To blanche, you need two containers: a large pot of boiling water (if you have a strainer basket for it, that's great!) and a bowl or sink full of ice water. Blanching works by cooking the leaf slightly so that freezing doesn't cause the cells to burst, reducing the plant to mush - the cooking relaxes the cell walls and keeps About the leaf in better condition. To blanch: dip the greens in boiling water for about 15-30 seconds, or until the leaf turns bright green. Transfer Greens immediately to the ice water to stop the cooking. Dry the greens (by air or with a cloth) and put in a freezer bag. When the bag is full, seal it almost fully and suck the remaining air out with a straw so that there is no air left in the bag. This will prevent freezer burn and the greens will keep for almost a year. To defrost them, fill the bag with cold water. When the greens are thawed, add them to whatever you're cooking.

Greens are best cooked lightly for a minute or two -- only until they turn bright green. Two wonderful ways of cooking greens are a) saute with soy sauce and garlic, or 2) stir-fry in olive oil with a squeeze of lemon juice and fresh ground pepper.

1 csa good food ideas greens Asian Greens

Tat Tsoi

Tat Tsoi is a leafy green that is ideal for adding to stir-fry dishes, or steaming lightly and serving like a (slightly spicier) spinach. Small leaves are a nice (spicy) addition to a salad in its raw state. It freezes well when blanched.

Pak Choy

Pak Choy is related to bok choy, which is featured in many chinese recipes. It's excellent in stir-fry dishes, braised, steamed, or in small amounts in salads (though it's very flavourful). It freezes well when blanched.

Komatsuna

Komatsuna is another "spicy" asian green. It can be eaten raw or steamed or stir-fried lightly. It freezes well when blanched.

Chinese Cabbage

Chinese Cabbage is the more ruffled cousin to regular white cabbage. Chop it finely and throw it into salads or coleslaw, add it to stir-fry dishes, or cook it as you would cabbage - with a slightly spicier taste than usual. It freezes well when blanched.

Mibuna

Mibuna is a wonderful salad green to spice up a salad. It's got a spicy flavour, similar to that of bok choy, but is best served raw in salads. It can also be lightly sauted with soy sauce and garlic. It does not freeze well.

Mizuna

Like Mibuna, Mizuna is a slightly spicy green, and its signature zig-zag leaf adds visual variety to a salad. A bed of lettuce and Mizuna topped with fresh berries or grilled vegetables makes a wonderful salad. It can also be lightly sauted with soy sauce and garlic. It does not freeze well.

1 csa good food ideas about greens Salad Greens

Arugula

Arugula has a very peppery flavour and is often used as an accent in salad mixes (such as mesclun mix). It is widely used in Jordanian cooking and a wonderful (albeit spicy) salad can be made by combining arugula, chopped radish, and red onion and topping with an oil-and-vinegar dressing. It does not freeze well.

Salad Mix

The salad mix on the CSA is a mix of different lettuces. Use it in whole or half leaves in a salad just as you would use lettuce. It does not freeze well.

Note: Mibuna & Mizuna also make good salad greens

Other Greens

Lettuce

This is the standby green and is the mainstay of salads, sandwiches, etc. It is also remarkably good in soups (you can toss a whole bowl of leftover salad into a vegetable or split pea soup with wonderful results!) or replacing spinach (in small amounts) in some recipes. It does not freeze well.

The CSA grows a variety of red and green loose leaf, Raimine, Italian, Babvian Crisphead and butter head/Boston over the course of the growing season.

Kale

Kale is probably most familiar as a garnish. However, it's a wonderful green to steam, boil (only for a minute or two), deep fry or stir-fry. It's wonderful sautéed in soy sauce with garlic. It freezes well when blanched.

Spinach

Spinach is widely used both raw and cooked. Spinach is a great base for a variety of salads (see the salads section) as well as in sandwiches. Cooked, it's featured in many dishes from around Florence, Italy (i.e. "florentine" dishes), and is great in quiches and pasta dishes. It freezes well when blanched.

1 csa good food ideas about greens

Collards

Collards are one of the great "soul foods" and are quite tough raw, but are wonderful cooked. Fried collards greens are popular in the southern USA, but it can also be steamed and substituted for kale in the recipes in this book. It freezes well when blanched.

Beet Greens / Turnip Greens

The "extra" greens are two of the bonuses of buying your food at the farm, instead of the grocery store, where they've usually been trimmed for you. They can both be used as you would use spinach, especially in the cooked dishes. Both freeze well when blanched.

Fennel Not exactly a green, but you may be wondering what to do with it. White bulbous base has a wonderful anise flavour. Chop up for salads, stir fires, suops or bake with olive oil. Foilage is milder and great in soups, added at the last minute.

1 csa good food ideas salads

Tasty Salad Dressings Strawberry Vinaigrette Tahini and Garlic Dressing Honey and Cracked Mustard Dressing Wasabi Ginger Dressing Mary's Famous Caesar Salad Dressing

One, Two, Three Dressing! Salad Marinade Spinach Salad Variations Orange-Sesame Salad. Herbed Cheese Salad. Bacon Mushroom Salad. Pear-Almond-Avocado Salad. Grilled Vegetable Salad. Root Salad Sweet and Sour Slaw Pasta Salad Iceberg Salad Roasted Snow Pea Salad Salads Fancy Spring Salad and salad dressings Primavera Salad Three Bean Salad Beet Salad Cucumber Salad Variations Cool Cucumber Salad. Minted Cucumber Salad. Thai Cucumber Salad. Burmese Cucumber Salad. Greek Salad Mashed Carrot Salad Balkan Salad Caprese Salad Creamy Dilly Salad Melon Salad White Kidney Bean Salad Coleslaw

Sweet Apple Salad Waldorf Salad Herbed Potato Salad

1 csa good food ideas salads Tasty Salad Dressings By Amy Proulx

Yes, yes, leafy greens. What to do with leafy greens? Time to be creative with the age-old oil and vinegar to bring out the life in those greens, and the creative life in you. Get mixing! Strawberry Vinaigrette ¼ cup mashed strawberries (try giving them a minute in the microwave to make them juicy and mushy) 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar 1 tsp fresh thyme 1 tbsp canola oil, or some other lightly flavoured oil.

Mix everything together, really get mashing to mush the strawberries. This is really good with spinach, topped with more chopped strawberries, and a couple toasted walnuts. Tahini and Garlic Dressing 1 tbsp tahini 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar ½ tsp each ground cumin and coriander salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything together, you’ve got the idea! Honey and Cracked Mustard Dressing 1 tbsp French style prepared cracked mustard 1 tsp honey 1 tbsp olive oil, or your favourite oil 1 tbsp water black pepper to taste

Mix everything together. Pour on salad! Really nice with some of the strong flavoured greens. Wasabi Ginger Dressing Calling all Asian greens! 1 tsp (or more, or less, according to your taste) prepared wasabi paste 1 tsp minced ginger 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp canola oil, or another light flavoured oil

Mix, pour, serve! All it takes is a source of oil, something sour, and a dash of flavour and you’ve got a great salad.

1 csa good food ideas salads Mary's Famous Caesar Salad Dressing June - September By Mary Sojczynski

This recipe makes enough for several meals and stores well in the fridge for about a week.

Fresh romaine lettuce. Fresh grated parmesan cheese Fresh bacon bits

In a blender mix the following items: Juice of 1 fresh lemon several cloves of crushed fresh garlic (more is always better) black pepper to taste 1½ teaspoons of Dijon mustard or dry mustard 1 ounce of red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon of worchestershire sauce 4 or 5 drops of tobasco sauce 1 raw egg Anchovies (optional) about 35 gram tin

Mix these ingrediants together. Slowly add 1.5 cups of olive oil to the mixture taking about a minute or so to add it. By doing it slowly it seems to whip the dressing making it rich and thick instead of runny. The dressing is usually better if it can sit in the fridge for a few hours. Pour onto cleaned romaine lettuce and top with parmesan cheese and bacon bits. Toss well and add the croutons at the end. One, Two, Three Dressing! All Season By Mary Sojczynski

In a small jar add the following items and shake well: one part Dijon mustard two parts red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar three parts olive oil

1 csa good food ideas salads Salad Marinade All Season By Ruth Isaac Wiederkehr

Yields enough for 5 cups cooked beans, or 5 cups par-cooked carrots and/or leeks and/or broccoli and/or cauliflower etc. Scallions, parsley, red peppers add additional wonder!

Cook, then marinate and chill veggies in the following: ½ cup cider or wine vinegar ¾ cup olive oil and safflower oil ½ - 1 tsp salt lots of fresh black pepper a few dashes of marjoram or oregano ½ tsp basil 3 cloves crushed/minced garlic 1 Tbsp dry wine rind and juice from ½ large lemon

1 csa good food ideas salads Spinach Salad Variations Full Season

There are hundreds of ways to make a salad based on fresh spinach. All salads start with a bed of rinsed and torn spinach. (Other greens such as chard, beet greens, turnip greens, mizuna, mibuna and lettuce would also be good in these salads in place of spinach.)

Variation 1: Orange-Sesame Salad. Top with orange slices, toasted sesame seeds, and a dressing made by combining 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp sesame oil (optional but recommended), ¼ cup orange juice, and a 1" piece of fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped.

Variation 2: Herbed Cheese Salad. Top with cubes of a strong cheese (old cheddar, blue, etc; depending on your taste), and a handful of herbs from the u- pick herb garden (rosemary and oregano are highly recommended). Add cherry tomatoes and an oil-and-vinegar dressing such as Italian.

Variation 3: Bacon Mushroom Salad. Top with crumbled bacon (still hot from the frying pan!), sliced white mushrooms, and sprinkle with either a Caesar dressing, or 1 Tbsp. malt vinegar, added to the bacon drippings.

Variation 4: Pear-Almond-Avocado Salad. Top with sliced pear, toasted slivered almonds, and chunks of avocado. This doesn’t necessarily need a dressing, but the orange dressing or any sweet vinegrette would go well with this salad.

Variation 5: Grilled Vegetable Salad. Top with grilled vegetables (see "Grilled Vegetables" under Main Dishes). Any oil and vinegar dressing (especialy Balsamic vinegar) will go very well with this salad.

Root Salad October/November By Amy Proulx Get out your grater! Here comes a twist on an old favorite that will dress up a sandwich, or go well in a pita for lunch.

1 medium rutabaga 1 lb carrots 1 large beet, or 2 small beets 1 cup raisins 1 Tbsp orange juice concentrate 2 Tbsp vinegar 1 Tbsp honey 1 tsp oil

Grate up all those roots, and toss everything together. Let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes, toss again, and you are good to go!

1 csa good food ideas salads Sweet and Sour Slaw Full Season

This is a wonderful variation on coleslaw that we got from Catherine Chafe, whose husband ran a CSA in Kitchener-Waterloo in 2002.

1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 bunch kale, chopped 1 large or 3 small beets, grated 1 small head cabbage, chopped 1" piece of fresh ginger, chopped 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar ½ cup fresh red currants or raisins

Heat oil in a medium sized pot. Saute the ginger, beets, kale and cabbage until the kale is slightly wilted. Remove from heat and add the vinegar and red currants or raisins. Allow to cool and serve.

Pasta Salad Full season

1 lb large shaped pasta (rotini or penne are ideal) 1 head broccoli, cut into florets 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets 1 cup snow peas and/or snap peas or 2 carrots, julienned (depends on season) ¼ - ½ cup Italian dressing (or 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp vinegar) 1 small handful fresh herbs (parsley, lovage (chopped), and chives are recommended) 2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook the pasta. While the pasta is cooking, steam the broccoli, cauliflower and snow peas (spring) or carrots (summer/fall). Pour cool water over everything when cooked to cool. Toss together in a bowl with the dressing, herbs and cheese. Enjoy!

1 csa good food ideas salads Iceberg Salad June/July

This is a nice way to use up the inner leaves of lettuce and simulate iceberg lettuce.

Inner (light green or white) leaves of 1 - 2 heads lettuce (ripped) 5-6 radishes (sliced) 1 green onion (green part only) cut on the diagonal in 1" pieces 1 handful Snow Peas or snap peas 1 carrot, grated (optional)

Combine ingredients. Top with your favorite creamy dressing. Roasted Snow Pea Salad June/July

This is a nice salad for a cool evening at the beginning of the season. The snow peas can also be left raw for a lighter flavour.

1 head lettuce or bunch spinach 1 handful Asian greens or arugula 1 handful Snow Peas 2 Tbsp. olive oil 2-3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, lemon juice, or juice from orange sections 1" piece of ginger, finely chopped 1 can mandarin orange sections (optional) 1 handful slivered almonds (optional)

Toss snow peas with olive oil. "Roast" the snow peas (and almonds) by coating with the oil and putting them in a small pot on very high heat, stirring frequently until the almonds are toasted and the snow peas are slightly charred in some places. Add the vinegar or juice, and the grated ginger and remove from heat. To assemble the salad, shred the lettuce into a large bowl, and mix in the Asian greens. Top with the orange sections and the snow pea mixture. Note that the snow pea mixture can be either hot or cold when added to the salad. If it's hot, it will cook the Asian greens or arugula slightly upon contact, mellowing their flavour.

1 csa good food ideas salads Fancy Spring Salad June/July While not part of the CSA, fresh strawberries will be arriving at the Farmer's market around the first pick-up date, and are a wonderful part of this very fancy salad.

1 head lettuce or bunch spinach 1 bunch Mizuna 1 bunch Mibuna or Arugula ½ pint fresh strawberries, sliced small handful ( ¼ cup) chopped walnuts or toasted almonds (optional)

Shred the lettuce, and toss with the other greens. On each plate, make a layer of the greens, and top with the sliced strawberries and nuts. Serve as-is or with your favorite salad dressing. Balsamic vinegar is wonderful with strawberries, so a balsamic dressing is highly recommended! Primavera Salad June-September Primavera is used to refer to steamed fresh veggies, usually on pasta. This is a take- off of pasta primavera, made into a salad instead. As the season progresses, add other primavera vegetables such as summer squash, zucchini and carrots.

1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets 1 cauliflower, cut into florets 1 bunch garlic scapes, cut into 1" pieces ¼ cup Oil-and-vinegar-style dressing Greens of your choice (lettuce, spinach, mibuna, mizuna, or salad mix recommended) Fresh chives and lovage (from the u-pick herb garden)

Steam the broccoli, cauliflower and garlic scapes. Toss with the dressing and allow to cool. Toss the greens and herbs together and top with the steamed vegetables.

Three Bean Salad July-September 1 bunch green or yellow beans, ends trimmed, and sliced into 1" lengths 1 can chickpeas 1 can red kidney beans or black beans 3 green onions - white parts chopped finely, green parts chopped coarsely (or 1 red onion, minced) 2 Tbsp. vinegar (apple cider, red wine, or white) 2 Tbsp. olive oil Fresh or dried parsley

Combine all ingredients and allow to sit for 10 minutes - 4 hours to allow flavours to blend. Serve as a side dish, or on a bed of greens, with fresh bread as a wonderful, quick and nutritious lunch.

1 csa good food ideas salads Beet Salad July-November 2-3 large beets 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (white is also ok) 1" piece of ginger, minced

Cover beets with water, and bring to a boil for 15-20 minutes, or until tender. Pour cold water over beets and cut into wedges. Toss with apple cider vinegar and ginger. Serve. Cucumber Salad Variations July-September

Every now and again, the cucumbers take over the garden. What do you do with 2 or 3 cucumbers? Here are some salad ideas that we hope you'll love! Variation 1: Cool Cucumber Salad. Slice 1 cucumber and mix with ½ cup sour cream or yogurt and a small handful of dill Variation 2: Minted Cucumber Salad. Slice 1 cucumber and mix with ½ cup sour cream or yogurt and a handful of fresh mint leaves. Variation 3: Thai Cucumber Salad. Chop 1 cucumber. Mix with 1 minced green chili, 1 chopped green onion, juice of 1 lime, 1 tsp sesame oil, and top with ¼ cup chopped roasted peanuts or toasted sesame seeds and a handful of fresh cilantro. Variation 4: Burmese Cucumber Salad. (This is recipe adapted from the World Food Café cookbook - it was too good to leave out!). Slice 1 red onion and fry in 1 Tbsp olive oil until softened. Add 2 Tbsp sesame seeds and stir together until toasted. Put in a bowl with 1 cucumber, cubed. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. tumeric, and 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar. Serve immediately!

Greek Salad August-September

2 Tomatoes, diced 1 Cucumber, diced 1 small block Feta cheese, diced 1 bunch spinach (optional - not traditional but nice)

Dressing: combine the following and let stand 5-10 minutes 1 clove garlic, minced 2 Tbsp rosemary, chopped 2 Tbsp olive oil 4 Tbsp red wine or herbed vinegar (other kinds, except balsalmic are ok)

Combine all ingredients. Top with additional herbs (parsley or oregano) as desired.

1 csa good food ideas salads Mashed Carrot Salad August-November This salad is based on a Turkish recipe collected by the owners of the World Food Café in London, England. They have a wonderful recipe book with the original version of this recipe and many other wonderful vegetarian recipes that they collected in their travels.

1 lb carrots, sliced and boiled 1 tsp cumin seed (toasted in a frying pan until you can smell the aroma) juice of 1 lemon 1 tsp paprika

Boil and mash the carrots. Toast the cumin and stir in with lemon juice and paprika. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve. Balkan Salad August/September This is a really popular salad in the former Yugoslavia.

1 head lettuce 5-6 leaves cabbage ½ medium cucumber 1-2 tomatoes ¼ cup grated mozzarella cheese (optional)

Wash all veggies. Rip lettuce and line bowls with it. Shred cabbage finely and put on top of lettuce. Dice cucumber and tomatoes and put on cabbage. Top with an oil and vinegar dressing. For a heartier salad, top with grated mozzarella cheese prior to dressing.

Caprese Salad August/September Caprese is the Italian designation for the combination of tomato, basil and boccacine. Boccacine are small balls of unripened cheese that will become mozzarella if allowed to sit for 2 or 3 days. This salad is a staple in northern Italy, and makes for a wonderful lunch or light dinner with fresh bread and a glass of wine.

2 tomatoes - cut into wedges 1 small handful basil leaves 4 Boccacini (you can get it at a European deli, or just use mozzarella) 1 Tbsp.olive oil 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Combine tomatoes and boccacini (cut in half) or mozzarela (in 1" cubes) and basil leaves. Dress with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately!

1 csa good food ideas salads Creamy Dilly Salad August/September With lots of fresh dill in the harvest, this is a nice way to highlight it in a salad.

1 handful green beans, cut into 1" pieces (raw or steamed) 1 carrot, grated 1 head lettuce or bunch of greens ¼ - ½ cup creaming dressing or ½ cup thin yogurt (Kefir* is ideal) + 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 bunch dill, chopped salt and pepper to taste

Combine the vegetables and toss with the dressing (if using the oil + yogurt, coat vegetables with oil first, season with salt and pepper, and then add yogurt -- watered down slightly if it's thick). Top with chopped dill.

*Kefir is a thin yogurt available in most health food stores. Melon Salad August/September

This salad brings cantaloupe to the start of a meal. Add some bits of prosciutto to bring this salad to the next level!

1 head lettuce, or 4 cups of mixed greens of your choice 1 cantaloupe, chopped 2 Tbsp sunflower seeds 2 Tbsp orange juice 1" ginger, minced 2-3 slices of prosciutto* (optional)

Line a salad bowl or individual plates with greens. Arrange the cantaloupe and prosciutto on top of the lettuce. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds, ginger and orange juice.

*Prosciutto is a very thinly sliced cured ham that complements melon beautifully. The best prosciutto is found a European style deli’s. Buy it fresh for the best flavour.

1 csa good food ideas salads White Kidney Bean Salad August-November This is a refreshing bean salad that goes wonderfully with a Middle Eastern spread of hummus, tabouli, baba ghanouj, falafel, pita bread, etc. It can also be added to lettuce-based salads.

1 can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 handful fresh dill, chopped (or 2 Tbsp dried) 1 sweet red pepper, chopped (other colours ok, but red looks the best) 2 green onions or 1 red onion, chopped 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp vinegar

Combine the kidney beans, dill, pepper and onion. Coat with olive oil and sprinkle with vinegar. Allow to sit 30 minutes before serving, if possible, to allow flavours to blend.

Coleslaw September-November 1 head cabbage, shredded 1 apple, cored and diced 2 green onions or 1 bulb onion, finely sliced 1 bulb fennel, grated (optional) ½ cup raisins (optional) ½ cup coleslaw dressing, or 2 Tbsp olive oil + 1 Tbsp vinegar

Combine ingredients and allow to sit at least 30 minutes before serving.

Sweet Apple Salad Apple Season This is yet another recipe adapted from the World Food Café cookbook, this one collected in the Seychelles. It's a wonderfully sweet and refreshing salad for the fall.

2 apples, chopped and tossed with the juice of 1 lime or lemon ½ small Chinese cabbage, shredded 1 red onion, sliced (or 3 green onions, chopped) 1 tsp. turmeric 1" piece fresh grated ginger 1 Tbsp oil 1 bulb of fennel chopped (optional)

Saute ginger and onion in oil until the onion begins to soften. Meanwhile, combine all other ingredients. Stir in ginger and onion and serve.

1 csa good food ideas salads Waldorf Salad October/November Waldorf designates the combination of celery, apples and walnuts in British cooking. Two variations of this salad are possible. Served over greens (until the salad greens are gone) or by itself, with a little bit of mayonnaise.

1 head celery, thinly sliced 1 or 2 apples, chopped 1 onion, thinly sliced 1 handful (1/4 cup) walnuts ¼ cup sour cream or a mild creamy dressing of your choice

Combine ingredients and allow to sit (preferably for 1 hour) for flavours to blend.

Herbed Potato Salad October/November This is not potato salad in the traditional sense, but it makes good use of the fresh potatoes and rosemary in the herb garden.

2-4 potatoes, cubed 1 stem rosemary 1 Tbsp. olive oil

Boil the potatoes until soft. Drain and toss with the olive oil and rosemary. Serve hot or cold.

1 Soups

Minestrone/ Vegetable Soup Full Season Variation 1. Minestrone Soup Variation 2. Meaty Vegetable/Minestrone Soup Garlic (Scapes) Soup June/July Tom Yum Soup June-Septmber Black Bean Soup August/September Chilled Cantaloupe Soup August/September Gazpacho August/September Curried Winter Squash Soup October/November Winter Vegetable Stew October/November French Onion Soup September-November Leek & Potato Soup September-November Nouveau Borscht Full Season Collard Soup October/November Chicken soup a la CSA October/November The Week In Review Full Season Kapusta September-November Barszcz (Beet Soup) September-November Cream of Carrot Soup September-November csa good food ideas soups Minestrone/ Vegetable Soup Full Season Soup is a wonderfully versatile meal. On a warm summer evening, make it heavier on broth and serve with a salad. On a cool evening, add beans and pasta to make minestrone, and go heavier on the root vegetables for a really comforting soup that approaches a stew. Feel free to add or subtract ingredients from the list below, depending on availability and your preferences. No amounts are given, since they are subject to personal taste.

Vegetables: Carrot, cut into quarters lengthwise and chopped Cabbage, shredded Cauliflower, cut into small florets and stems chopped Broccoli, cut into small florets and chop stems chopped Snap Peas, whole Spinach, stems removed Beans, whole Fennel, diced Parsley root, diced Tomatoes, chopped (or canned diced)

Broth: 2 Litres (about 8 cups) vegetable, chicken or beef broth or water + 1 can tomato paste

Herbs: Lovage, whole leaves Fresh parsley Fresh Basil Fresh Oregano Salt and pepper to taste

In a pot, sauté the onion and garlic (if desired) in the oil until soft. Add the other vegetables and sauté for about 5 minutes in some of the liquid to start cooking. Add the rest of the liquid and bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add herbs about 5-10 minutes before the end of cooking. If you are using tomatoes in the soup, it will be wonderful topped with parmesan cheese. Variation: Minestrone Soup Add 1 can white beans (romano, navy, white kidney, etc) to the soup when you add the herbs. Variation: Meaty Vegetable/Minestrone Soup Sauté 1lb of ground beef (or other meat) in the bottom of the soup pot with the onions. Add 1 can white beans (romano, navy, white kidney, etc) to the soup when you add the herbs.

1 csa good food ideas soups Garlic (Scapes) Soup June/July This is a brothy soup that makes a nice light meal.

2 green onions, chopped 2-3 garlic scapes, chopped 1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets 1 cup snap peas, shelled 4 cups water or broth 2 Tbsp. soy sauce or miso paste

Combine the soy sauce or miso with the water and bring to a boil. Add the cauliflower and cook about 2 minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables and cook until the garlic scapes are soft. Season with pepper to taste. Tom Yum Soup June-Septmber This is a staple of Thai cooking - it is favoured with Tom Yum paste, which can be quite hot, so add it in small amounts until seasoned to your tasted.

4 cups water or broth 1-2 cups Asian Greens 1 handful cilantro 1 cup mushrooms, sliced 1-2 Hot peppers (optional) Tom Yum Soup paste (or red curry paste) – available at most Asian grocery stores – to taste (about 1 tsp. at a time recommended)

Heat broth to a boil. Stir in the Tom Yum or red curry paste and mushrooms. Let simmer about 5 minutes. Add the Asian greens and let simmer a minute or so until they brighten. Garnish with cilantro and hot peppers. Serve hot.

Black Bean Soup August/September 1–2 medium sweet onions, cut into wedges 2–3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 Tbsp. oil 2-3 tomatoes , chopped (or 1 can diced) 2 cups cooked black beans (canned or cooked in a pressure cooker) 1 tsp. cumin seed 1 tsp. coriander seed 2 tsp. chili powder 1 handful cilantro Sour cream (optional) - garnish

Sauté the onion and garlic in oil until soft. Add the tomatoes and beans and cover with broth or water. Add coriander, chili powder and cumin. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer to let flavours blend. Garnish with cilantro and sour cream.

1 csa good food ideas soups Chilled Cantaloupe Soup August/September This makes for a wonderfully refreshing start to a meal. With a food processor or blender, it can be ready in less than five minutes.

1 ripe cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks 1" piece of ginger, minced ½ cup crushed ice Fresh mint or basil leaves, for garnish Combine ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Garnish with a fresh mint or basil leaf. Done!

Gazpacho August/September This is the quintessential summer soup. Make it early and let it chill for a few hours before serving. This recipe is heavy on the garlic – reduce the amount if you don’t like a strong garlic taste.

2 Tomatoes, diced finely 4 leaves lettuce, shredded 1 cucumber, peeled and finely diced 2 green onions, chopped finely 1 bell pepper, finely diced 1 hot pepper, minced (optional) 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in 2 cups water (enough to get the desired consistency). Chill several hours before serving.

If you prefer a chunkier soup, omit the water and don’t puree the vegetables.

Curried Winter Squash Soup October/November Serve this soup with warm whole grain bread for a simple, satisfying meal.

1 clove garlic, minced 1 large or 2 small onions, diced 1 Tbsp. oil 1 Winter squash or pumpkin, cubed 1 tsp. tumeric 1 tsp. ground cumin

Sauté the onion and garlic in oil until soft. Add the winter squash and ½ cup of water and sauté until it softens, adding more water as required to prevent sticking or burning. When the squash is tender, add the tumeric and cumin and puree. Serve hot.

1 csa good food ideas soups Winter Vegetable Stew October/November This can be a very quick meal with a pressure cooker – without one, it will take longer for the vegetables to cook. Serve with a salad and whole grain bread.

2 cloves garlic, minced 1 large or 2 small onions, diced 1 Tbsp. oil 1 winter squash, cubed 2 carrots, cut into 1" chunks 2 potatoes, cubed 1 tsp. cumin 1 tsp. turmeric 4 cups water, vegetable/chicken/beef broth or 2 cups apple juice + 2 cups water

Sauté the garlic and onions in oil until soft. Add the other vegetables, spices and liquid. Pressure cook about 5 minutes, or cook for about 30 minutes, until vegetables are soft.

French Onion Soup September-November This is a very easy variation on French onion soup and makes for a wonderful meal – this can be made vegan if desired, using the alternate ingredients given.

2 very large sweet onions or 4 small ones 1 tsp. salt 2 cloves garlic 1 tsp. oil 6 cups beef broth, vegetable broth or 5 cups water + 1 cup red or white wine ¼ cup fresh basil leaves salt and pepper to taste ½ cup grated mozzarella cheese or vegan cheese substitute

Slice the onions as thinly as possible and toss with salt. Sauté on very low heat with garlic and oil until reduced in size by half – about 30 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce, adding the basil, salt and pepper, and let simmer about 5 minutes. Put a small amount of cheese in the bottom of each bowl before ladling in soup. Serve with garlic bread or a fresh baguette.

1 csa good food ideas soups Leek & Potato Soup September-November This is a great comfort food for cool autumn evenings. For a sweet variation, add a can of creamed corn at the end of cooking.

2 leeks, chopped 2-3 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp. butter or oil 2 potatoes, cubed water as needed Garlic chives as a garnish

Sauté the leeks and garlic in the butter or oil until soft. Boil the potatoes until tender (about 5-10 minutes) and drain, reserving the potato water. Puree the potatoes with the leeks and garlic, adding the potato water to get the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with garlic chives. Nouveau Borscht Full Season By Amy Proulx

Smooth, bright, lively and warm.

4 large beets, remove and save the leaves 2 large potatoes 3 large carrots ½ Tbsp oil 2 tsp black pepper 2 tsp salt ½ tsp ground caraway seeds, or ½ Tbsp chopped fresh dill (one or the other, not both is my recommendation!)

Place all the roots into a pot, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and let simmer for 20 minutes. Drain, reserving the water for reconstituting the soup. Peel the beet if desired, and cut the tops off the beets and carrots. Place all the roots in a blender or food processor, adding enough water while blending to make a smooth creamy soup. Place back in the pot. I know someone is going to scream, but using bacon fat for that 1 Tbsp of oil makes the soup very smooth and rich, but if you don't like the idea, add your own favorite oil. Add the salt and spices, and let simmer gently for 5 minutes. Top with sour cream and steamed chopped beet greens, and serve with crusty bread. It is even good rewarmed for a cold morning breakfast, as that is what I had this first chilly morning.

1 csa good food ideas soups Collard Soup October/November By Pauline MacDonald

This is one of Pauline’s favorites, and is quite easy. Use collard greens, beet greens or kale in this quick and tasty soup.

5 large potatoes, chopped coarsely 1 large carrot sliced thin 6 cups water 14 large collard leaves, or other leafy greens 1 small sausage, chorizo, smoked sausage, tempeh (toss with a bit of soy sauce first) or whatever is on hand.

Boil the potatoes, and carrots in the water until the potatoes are soft. Mash or blend until smooth. Roll the leaves and slice thinly, then add to the soup. Add thinly sliced sweet pork saugage, pepperette or chorizo. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Add oil and salt to taste and serve. Chicken Soup a la CSA October/November By Amy Proulx

1 soup chicken, from the farm store of course 1 leek 1 cup apple cider 1 tbsp salt 1 onion 1 stalk celery 1 carrot

Put all of this in a soup pot, and cover with water. Simmer covered for 3h, adding water as needed to top up the water. Let chill in the fridge overnight, and remove the fat. Take the chicken and remove all the meat bits from the bones. Chop the meat fine, and reserve. Strain the broth, removing all the bits. Into the broth, add your favourite soup items to make it into a meal. I like adding 3 juniper berries, 1 whole clove, 1 tsp rosemary, 4 potatoes, 1 c chicken bits, 3 carrots, 2 leeks, and 5 chopped cabbage leaves. My other favourite is to take a carrot, a beet, a leek, and a bit of rutabaga, making long strips with a veggie peeler, popping the strips into the soup. The Week In Review Full Season By Jim Profit

Whatever is leftover in the fridge that is still safe to eat Water Spices to taste

Stick everything in a pot and bring to a boil for a while. If stuff is large, chop it into little bits first. Odds are pretty good it will taste alright. The pot of "week in review" Jim occasionally shares with the farm staff is always excellent.

1 csa good food ideas soups Kapusta September-November ‘This is a great Polish Recipe which has been passed down from my mother in law who of course is Polish. Kapusta is a staple in Poland which is easy to make with cabbage and gets even better each time you reheat it. I hope you enjoy it! ’ - Mary Sojczynski

In a large pot boil: 1 - 28 oz. can of sauerkraut in wine 1 freshly chopped green cabbage 2 chopped carrots 2 chopped celery sticks 2 cloves garlic ( more is always better) 2 bay leaves ½ cup chopped fresh parsley ½ pound fresh mushrooms 2 lbs pork hocks pepper and salt to taste

Cook for several hours until tender. You may need to add some water along the way.

Barszcz (Beet Soup) September-November "Beet soup is another of my mother in law’s famous dishes. So here it is, the infamous Barszcz:" – Mary Sojczynski

In a large pot, cook freshly chopped parsley to taste 6 large peeled, chopped red beets fresh chopped dill to taste 2 cooking onions chopped 1 bay leaf 2 carrot sticks chopped 1 pork hock 2 celery sticks chopped pepper and salt to taste

Serve in a soup bowl and top with a dab of sour cream and fresh dill. Enjoy!!!

Cream of Carrot Soup September-November By Mary Sojczynski

1 large onion, chopped 3 ¾ cups stock 2 cloves garlic, crushed 3 tsp. freshly chopped mixed herbs 1 tbsp. olive oil ⅔ cup sour cream 2 ½ cups carrots, chopped salt & pepper

Sauté onions and garlic in oil. Add the carrots, mixed herbs and stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes until the carrots are soft. Cool a little and then blend until smooth. Add the sour cream, season to taste and mix thoroughly. Heat through gently and serve.

1 side dishes

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2 cups Asian greens - whole with stems 2 green onions, julienned 1 small (50ml or so) can coconut milk

If there is some cream at the top of the coconut milk, use this to sauté the greens and onions, and then add the rest of the can at serving time. If the coconut milk is more homogeneous, use about half for sautéing, and add the other half just prior to serving.

This recipe can be changed by adding any or all of the following ingredients during sautéing – most of them should be available at an Asian grocery (there’s one downtown that has most of these ingredients)

2 kefir lime leaves, shredded 1 lemongrass stalk, pounded and chopped finely (tender part only) 1-2 green chilis, seeded and finely chopped

Garlic Greens Full Season Any greens can be used with this dish to make an appetizing side dish to a barbeque, roast, or pasta.

2-4 garlic cloves (minced) or garlic scapes (chopped) 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil or butter 2 cups greens (Asian, spinach, chard, etc) salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the garlic in oil or butter over low-medium heat until soft. Add the greens and sauté until they brighten. Serve immediately. Variation 1: Herbed greens

Add 1 tsp. fresh oregano leaves when you add the greens. Variation 2: Chinese style greens

Replace 1 tsp. of the oil with sesame oil. Add 1 tsp. soy sauce to the greens while sautéing.

1 csa good food ideas side dishes Mashed Veggies Full Season Mashed vegetables are a wonderful comfort food. The CSA grows a variety of root veggies that are wonderful for mashing, so that you can make this throughout the season. Four variations have been provided for flavouring your veggies.

To begin, cut approximately 1 lb of the following vegetables into approximately 2" chunks and boil. When cool, mash with the ingredients in any of the variations below, ensuring that the ingredients that you add are as close to room temperature as possible to avoid cooling the vegetables too much.

Potatoes Parsnips Rutabaga Turnips

Variation 1: Creamy Mashed 1-2 Tbsp butter or olive oil ½ cup milk (the higher the fat, the creamier, but skim will work) salt and pepper to taste

Variation 2: Creamy Mashed (Dairy-free) 1-2 Tbsp olive oil ½ cup unflavoured milk alternate (soy milk is recommended, rice or almond milk will also do) salt and pepper to taste

Variation 3: Pesto Mashed 1-2 Tbsp olive oil ½ cup milk or alternate ¼ cup basil leaves, finely chopped (or blended with the other ingredients in a food processor) 1-2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese

Variation 4: Garlic Mashed 1-2 Tbsp butter or olive oil ¼ cup milk or alternate 2-4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

Variation 5: Herbed Mashed 1-2 Tbsp butter or olive oil ¼ cup herbs of your choice, chopped (chives, oregano, basil, sorrel (if you like sourness) and thyme are recommended) salt and pepper to taste

Variation 6: Cheesy Mashed 1-2 Tbsp butter or olive oil ¼ cup grated cheese of your choice salt and pepper to taste

Variation 7: Curry Mashed - this is best with sweet vegetables 1-2 Tbsp butter or olive oil ¼ cup milk or alternate 1 tsp. curry powder

1 csa good food ideas side dishes Sesame Broccoli Full Season This is a very simple, but delicious side dish. As a variation, try substituting green beans for the broccoli.

1 head broccoli, cut into florets 1 tsp. sesame oil or olive oil 1Tbsp. sesame seeds 1 tsp. soy sauce

Toast sesame seeds lightly over low heat until they start to pop, and set aside. In a hot pan, add the broccoli, oil and soy sauce and sauté the broccoli until bright green. Add a bit of water to prevent the pan from drying out, but do not cover the broccoli. Serve topped with the sesame seeds. Southern Collards Full Season Collards are one of the ultimate soul foods. The most typical way of cooking them is to boil them with a ham hock (which has already cooked for about an hour) and some salt for about half an hour. This is a simpler and faster recipe that hopefully you’ll enjoy.

1 bunch collard greens, shredded 1 tsp. salt 2 slices bacon or 1 Tbsp bacon bits (optional)

Shred the collard by stacking several leaves together, rolling them up, and slicing into very thin slices across the roll to make long, thin strips. Put these strips into a pot and just cover with water. Bring to a boil and add the salt. Cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Just prior to serving, chop up the bacon and fry until crispy (or measure the bacon bits). Drain the collards, and toss with the bacon (and grease, if you like – it certainly will improve the flavour!) and serve. Ginger Beets Full Season This can be served either hot or cool and makes for a bright addition to any meal. If you combine yellow and red beets for a fancier meal, boil them separately and mix together only after adding the vinegar, to reduce the staining of the yellow by the red beets. For a milder flavour, you can sauté the ginger before adding.

1 bunch beets, sliced or cut into wedges 2" piece of ginger, grated or finely chopped 1-2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

In a pot, cover the beets with water and boil until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and toss with apple cider vinegar and ginger. It’s as easy as that!

1 csa good food ideas side dishes Steamed Cauliflower with Balsamic Vinegar Full Season This is a very easy way to make cauliflower. Higher quality balsamic vinegars tend to be sweeter, which will improve the flavour of this dish.

1 head cauliflower 2-3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Steam the cauliflower in a large pot with about ½" of water in the bottom until tender (about 10 minutes). Drain and toss with balsamic vinegar. Serve hot or let cool for a nice addition to a picnic or barbeque. Braised Asian Greens Full Season This dish is typically made with Bok Choy, but will work with any of the Asian greens – just remember only to cook the greens until they are bright green.

1 clove garlic, crushed 1" piece ginger, minced 1 tsp. sesame oil (other kinds will change the flavour but can be substituted) 1 Tbsp. soy sauce 1-2 cups Asian Greens 1 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. corn starch + 3 Tbsp. cold water Water as needed ¼ cup cashews (optional)

Sauté the garlic and ginger in oil until the garlic softens slightly. Add the soy sauce, greens, sugar and a bit of water to prevent sticking. Mix the cornstarch in the cold water until smooth and add to the mixture when the greens are cooked – this will give the thick glossy sauce typical of Chinese vegetable dishes. Garnish with cashews if desired. Summer Squash with Garlic and Greens June/July This is a flavourful dish that can be made into a main course by adding a can of chickpeas when you add the greens.

2-3 garlic scapes, chopped or 1 garlic clove, crushed and minced 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1-2 summer squash or zucchini, sliced ¼ cup water 1 tsp. soy sauce 1 bunch spinach or other greens herbs of your choice (oregano, basil, parsley and chives are recommended)

Sauté the garlic in the oil until soft. Add the summer squash and sauté until it starts to soften, about five minutes. Add the greens, water and soy sauce and steam until the greens are bright and the squash is tender.

1 csa good food ideas side dishes Summer Squash with Peppers and Onions August/September For a great, light late summer dinner, serve this with crusty bread and sliced tomatoes.

1-2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced 1 green or multicolour pepper, julienned 1 onion 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1-2 summer squash or zucchini, sliced 1 can chickpeas, drained (optional) Herbs of your choice (oregano, basil, parsley and chives are recommended) Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the garlic, onion and pepper in the oil until soft. Add the summer squash (and optional chickpeas) and sauté until the squash softens. Season with herbs, salt and pepper to taste. "Stovetop" Stuffing October/November This is a quick and dirty stuffing recipe that you can cook up on the stove to go alongside dinner.

1 tsp. oil 1-2 cloves garlic, minced 2 carrots, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 1 leek, sliced 4-5 slices bread, cubed (stale is good) 1 can lentils poultry seasoning salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the garlic in the oil until soft. Add the rest of the vegetables and the lentils and any water necessary to prevent sticking. Cook until carrots are soft. Season with spices and add bread. Cook until bread absorbs some of the juices. Serve hot.

Waldorf variation: Instead of carrots, add 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced and ¼ cup of walnuts. Enjoy!

1 csa good food ideas side dishes All-purpose Moist Stuffing October/November This is an old family recipe for stuffing – you can add 1-2 lb of browned hamburger or chopped, sauted mushrooms if you’d like a meatier stuffing.

4 stalks celery, cut in 4 lengthwise 4 potatoes, in quarters 4 apples, peeled and in quarters 4 onions, in quarters 1 loaf bread, crumbed 2 Tbsp. poultry seasoning salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients (in batches) in a food processor. Add meat or mushrooms if desired. Stuff into vegetable or bird of your choice and roast. Enjoy! Aloo Gobi October/November Aloo Gobi literally means "potato cauliflower" in Hindi. It is a typical Panjabi dish, though it is eaten widely across India. It’s a great way to use the fresh cauliflower and potato from the CSA.

1 tsp. cumin seed 1 tsp. coriander seed 1 Tbsp. oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 onion, sliced 1 head cauliflower, steamed 2-3 potatoes, cubed and boiled 1 Tbsp. tumeric

Toast the cumin and coriander until it is scented. Add the oil, garlic and onion, and cook on low heat until the garlic and onion are soft. Add the cauliflower, potato and tumeric, tossing to make sure that the vegetables are evenly coated. Serve with rice or a flavoured flatbread such a naan (available at Indian Food Stores).

1 csa good food ideas side dishes Coconut Cabbage October/November 1 Tbsp. black mustard seed 1 Tbsp. oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 onion, sliced 1 head cabbage, shredded 2-3 Tbsp. shredded dried unsweetened coconut

Toast the mustard seed until it is scented. Add the oil, garlic and onion, and cook on low heat until the garlic and onion are soft. Add the cabbage and cook until softened. Stir in shredded coconut and increase heat to toast the coconut. Serve hot with rice.

Grilled Carrots & Parsnips October/November 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 sprig rosemary 1-2 sweet onions, cut into quarters 2 carrots, cut lengthwise and into 2-3" pieces 2 parsnips, cut lengthwise and into 2-3" pieces salt and pepper to taste

Cut the rosemary into small lengths and mix with the vegetables. Toss the vegetables with oil and arrange on a cookie sheet. Broil in the oven until tender, about 20 minutes, checking and turning over vegetables every five minutes or so. Season to taste.

Hash October/November Traditional Newfoundland hash is taken by cubing leftover vegetables, frying them up and seasoning with salt and pepper. If you don’t have the vegetables cooked, you can boil them (except for the squash, which is really easy to steam in a microwave – just cut it in half, remove the seeds, put a bit of water inside and cover with plastic wrap and microwave 5-6 minutes).

Leftover vegetables, cubed: potatoes, carrots, rutabaga, winter squash, turnip, etc. 1 Tbsp. oil 1 onion, sliced Salt and pepper to taste Fresh/dried herbs of your choice: oregano and parsley are recommended

Heat oil in pan. Add vegetables and onion and fry until vegetables are browned slightly and the onion is soft. Season with salt and pepper and herbs of your choice.

1 csa good food ideas side dishes Saag Aloo October/November Saag Aloo is Hindi for “Spinach Potato” and, like Aloo Gobli, is a Panabi dish popular across India. The coconut milk is a South Indiaa variation on this dish and changes the flavour dramatically. I like it both ways. 1 Tbsp. oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 onion, sliced 2-3 potatoes, cubed and boiled 1 bunch spinach or chard 1 Tbsp. tumeric ¼ cup coconut milk (optional) or water

In a large pan, heat the oil, and sauté the garlic and onion on low heat until soft. Increase the heat to high and add the potato and tumeric, tossing to make sure that the potatoes are evenly coated. Put the greens on top of the potatoes and add the coconut milk or ¼ cup of water. Cover for 2-3 minutes to allow the greens to steam. Serve with rice or hot flatbread. Spicy Indian Potatoes October/November This recipe was taught to me by a woman from Goa (the Portugese colony in India). It can also be made very hot by adding diced chili’s when you add the garlic.

1 Tbsp. black mustard seed 1 Tbsp. cumin seed 1 Tbsp. oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 onion, sliced 2-3 potatoes, cubed and boiled ¼ cup coconut milk

Toast the mustard seed and cumin until it is scented. Add the oil, garlic and onion, and cook on low heat until the garlic and onion are soft. Increase the heat to high and add the potato and coconut milk. Serve with rice.

Swiss Chard All Season By Ruth Wiederker

1 onion, diced Swiss chard, chopped salt to taste 1 handful raisins

Saute onion in oil. Add chard, slat, and raisins. Steam in water left on chard from washing. Stir every few minutes, cooking only until wilted and tender.

1 csa good food ideas side dishes Red Cabbage Delight Fall By Ruth Wiederker

1 onion 1-2 Tbsp oil 1 smallish red cabbage, chopped fairly finely 1 apple, chopped handful of raisins ½ cup water salt to taste

Sauté onion in oil. Add remaining ingredients. Steam 20-30 minutes.

Garlic Green Beans July-September By Mary Sojczynski

Green, yellow, and/or purple beans 2 or 3 tablespoons butter 2 cloves of garlic (remembering that more is better than less) 1 or 2 tomatoes, finely chopped

Steam beans for 5 minutes. In a large frying pan, melt butter & add garlic. Add tomatoes and fry for about 1 minute. Add beans and fry for a few more minutes until you have reached the desired tenderness.

Potato and Pepper Squash Puree October/November By Mary Sojczynski

1 medium pepper (a.k.a. acorn) squash brown sugar to taste freshly grated nutmeg to taste 3 medium potatoes 1 Tbsp salt ¼ cup butter ⅓ cup milk

Preheat oven to 375º F. Cut squash in quarters and remove the seeds. Place skin side down on roasting pan. Dot with butter and sprinkle with brown sugar and nutmeg. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes, or until tender when tested with fork. Meanwhile, cut potatoes into quarters and boil for about 20-30 minutes. Scrape flesh out of squash and transfer to food mill. Strain potatoes and add to squash in the food mill. Puree.

Transfer to a saucepan and add butter, milk, and seasoning. Stir over medium heat until fluffy.

1 Grilled Vegetables Full Season Easy Ratatouille August/September Lasagna Florentine Full Season Pasta with Kale and Shitake Mushrooms Full Season Dumplings Full Season Satay Full Season Chickpea Saute June/July Pasta Primavera June/July Polenta with Greens June/July Curried Barley Pilaf with Greens June/July Spring Stir Fry June/July Pesto July-September Curried Eggplant August/September Grilled Eggplant Sandwich August/September Grilled Kabobs August/September Pasta with Arrabiata Sauce August/September Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce August/September Ratatouille August/September Risotto August/September Summer Stir-Fry August/September The Imam Swooned August/September Main Vegetarian Chili August-November Bosnian Stuffed Vegetables August-November Dishes Vegetable Alicha August-November Autumn Stir-fry October/November Curried Lentils with Apples & Onions October/November Curried Squash October/November Shepherds Pie October/November Winter Vegetable Couscous October/November Tabikh Summer Zucchini with Pasta Spanakopita Almost Sun-Dried Tomato and Roasted Pepper Spaghetti Sauce August/September Potato and Cheddar Cheese Torte October/November Fresh Fennel and Tomato sauce August/September Fettuccini Spinaci June/July & September/October Clean Out the Fridge BBQ Stir-Fry Tatsoi Sesame Stirfry June/July & September/October Cheese and Swiss Chard Manicotti All Season csa cooks main dishes Grilled Vegetables Full Season Grilled vegetables are a great base for many dishes, and many meals. Add these to pasta (either straight or with tomato sauce), on pizzas, or as a side dish or main course at a barbeque. The vegetables listed below are those from the CSA basket that are particularly good to roast. Some of the vegetables are quite large, but the smaller ones, particularly the snow peas and beans, should be grilled on a mat – a clean piece of screen works wonderfully, if you don’t have one.

Snow peas, whole on a grilling mat Beans, whole Turnip, sliced on the diagonal Summer squash, sliced on the diagonal or in chunks on a skewer Cherry tomatoes, whole (prick lightly or thread on a skewer to prevent bursting) Eggplant, sliced on the diagonal (to make larger slices) Peppers, cut into quarters Parsnips, sliced on the diagonal Carrots, sliced on the diagonal Fennel, cut into 4 slices

To grill vegetables, toss first with a dash of soy sauce (this is critical with eggplant, since it prevents it from absorbing all of the oil) and then pour on some olive oil (I find that ¼ cup is about right for 1 eggplant, 2 peppers & 2 zucchini to coat and prevent sticking to the grill – if you use too much, it will just drain off, so I recommend erring on the side of generosity). Place vegetables on the mat or directly on the grill and grill until tender, approximately 10 minutes for the root veggies (carrots, parsnips, turnip), and 5 for the others, turning once about halfway through the cooking. Fresh herbs such as rosemary and basil will complement this very nicely.

Easy Ratatouille August/September By Amy Proulx 1 Eggplant 1 medium zucchini 5 large tomatoes, or 8 paste tomatoes 1 pepper 3 cloves of garlic 3 green onions herbs – basil, thyme, parsley 2 tbsp olive oil salt, pepper and ½ cup water

Chop everything except the oil, salt and pepper. In a large stock pot, add the onions and garlic and fry gently in the oil until softened. Add everything else, and simmer covered until everything softens up and goes wonderful. Serve with crusty fresh bread.

1 csa cooks main dishes Lasagna Florentine Full Season This is a reasonably easy recipe for lasagna Florentine – to make it really easy, use a can of pasta sauce instead of making the sauce from scratch. The substitution for tofu instead of ricotta is something I learned from Catherine Chafe, and is a wonderful alternative, especially for people who can’t eat dairy. Feel free to use a more traditional filling recipe (i.e. 1 cup cottage or ricotta cheese + 2 eggs beaten) if you prefer, though most people who have tried this didn’t notice the difference.

1 box oven-ready lasagna noodles (i.e. the kind that don’t have to be pre-cooked) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 onion, chopped 1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 sweet peppers, chopped 1 eggplant (as available seasonally), chopped 2 cups mushrooms, chopped (optional) ½ cup TVP (texturized vegetable protein), soaked in 1 cup water with 1 Tbsp. soy sauce; to simulate ground beef (optional) 3-4 paste tomatoes, chopped or 1 28oz can diced tomatoes 1 small can tomato paste 1 small handful fresh herbs (basil, oregano, rosemary are all recommended) or 2 large cans tomato sauce 1 bunch spinach, chard or beet/turnip greens 1 large handful parsley, chopped 1 lb soft tofu ¼ tsp. nutmeg 2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast* 1 package vegan mozzarella "cheese" or 3 cups real mozzarella cheese, grated

To make the tomato sauce, sweat the garlic** and onion in the olive oil by cooking over low to medium heat for about five minutes. Add the peppers, eggplant and mushrooms and cook until vegetables are soft. If you are adding the TVP, soak it in the boiling water first to prevent it from drying out the sauce, and stir it in with the vegetables. Add the tomatoes and any extra water specified on the lasagna noodle directions (some require extra water to be added to the sauce to make up for the lack of pre-cooking). Add any fresh herbs desired just before assembling the lasagna.

To make the Florentine layer, steam the greens and rinse to cool them off. In a large bowl, combine the tofu, nutmeg, Parmesan cheese/nutritional yeast and parsley in a bowl and stir (or mash) together until well-mixed and reasonably smooth.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. To assemble the lasagna, spread some of the sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish, and then alternate layers of noodles, Florentine mixture and sauce. Top with a final layer of noodles, and spread with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the cheese (the noodles being in contact with sauce on both sides will prevent them drying out). Cover with aluminum foil (or use the lid of the dish) and bake until the cheese is melted and the noodles are cooked; about 1 hour. Note that different oven-ready pastas have different suggested cooking times, and package directions should be followed if they differ from this recipe.

1 csa cooks main dishes

*Nutritional Yeast is available at most health food stores and is a great source of Vitamin B12 for vegans. It has a slightly cheesy flavour.

** Sweating the garlic refers to frying at very low heat with a bit of oil. It allows the garlic to release its flavour and sweeten slightly without burning.

Pasta with Kale and Shitake Mushrooms Full Season This pasta is a wonderful and easy way to use kale.

½ box of spaghetti (other long shapes are ok) 3 Tbsp. miso paste *(can be bought at any Asian grocery and most health food stores) 3 Garlic scapes, chopped or 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp. olive oil 1 Tbsp. soy sauce ½ cup shitake mushrooms 3-4 leaves kale, shredded

Begin cooking the spaghetti. While the spaghetti is cooking, saute the garlic (cloves or scapes) in the olive oil. When the garlic begins to soften slightly (after about a minute or so), add the shitake mushrooms and kale. Remove from heat when the kale is bright green (or red, if you are using red kale!). When the spaghetti is done to your liking (usually after 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the noodles), drain, and stir in the miso paste. Put the spaghetti on plates and top with the vegetable mixture.

*Miso paste is a Japanese seasoning made by fermenting soybeans. It is available in different colours, red being the strongest, white the mildest and yellow in between. White or yellow is recommended for this recipe.

1 csa cooks main dishes Dumplings Full Season

These are a traditional mainland Chinese dish and can either be steamed or fried. This recipe makes lots (about 100 dumplings) but they freeze exceptionally well (just put in a freezer bag after filling the wrappers) and make a great quick meal or snack.

5 green onions 6 cups Asian greens, shredded 1 cup white mushrooms, chopped (or 1 can Chinese mushrooms, drained and chopped) 2 cloves garlic or 3 garlic scapes, finely chopped 1" piece of ginger, minced 1 tsp. sesame oil 3 Tbsp. soy sauce ½ - 2 tsp. Chinese chili sauce (such as Sambal Oelek), or 1-4 hot chilis, chopped (adjust to taste) 1 package dumpling wrappers (from any Asian grocery –allow to thaw before using!)

Saute the vegetables with the oil, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and chili in a wok or large pot, until the greens are bright green. Fill the dumplings by taking a wrapper in your non-writing hand and placing a spoonful (about 1 Tbsp) of the greens mixture in the centre of the wrapper. Wet two adjacent sides with cold water, and fold the wrapper in half to make a triangle. This may take a bit of practice, and the first few usually won’t stay together during steaming, but will still taste wonderful. To cook the dumplings, oil a steamer (to prevent sticking) and steam over boiling water for about 5 minutes, or until the wrappers are transparent. Serve with ginger sauce, plum sauce, soy sauce or chili sauce, depending on your taste.

1 csa good food ideas main dishes Satay Full Season Satay is a spicy peanut sauce from Indonesia, and goes wonderfully with some of the CSA vegetables. Serve it on rice with a salad for a wonderful summer or fall meal.

1 eggplant, quartered and cut into 1cm (1/2") thick slices 2 or 3 multicoloured peppers, cut into 1cm (1/2") thick slices 1 head kohlrabi or turnip, quartered, and cut into 1cm (1/2") thick slices (optional – good substitute for the eggplant when out of season) 1 Tbsp. oil ½ cup peanut butter (preferably just ground peanuts, but commercial is fine) ½ cup boiling water ¼ - 2 tsp. cayenne pepper (depending on taste – the ½ tsp. doesn’t add much "hot" but helps cut the sweetness of the peanut butter) 2 Tbsp. soy sauce

Coat the vegetables with oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Broil for 15-20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes, until the eggplant is soft. Meanwhile, combine the second set of ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until it is a smooth paste. When the vegetables are cooked, coat with this sauce. Serve over rice.

Chickpea Saute June/July 2 green onions, chopped, or 1 cooking onion, coarsely chopped 2 garlic scapes, chopped 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 Turnip, cubed 1 bunch spinach or turnip greens, rinsed 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 handful fresh parsley or 2 Tbsp. dry salt and pepper to taste.

Sauté the garlic and onions in oil over low to medium heat until soft. To save time, microwave or boil the cubed turnip until soft, and add to the garlic and onions. Top with the greens, and add a little bit of water (about 2 Tbsp.) to steam the greens. Stir in the chick peas and parsley, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

1 csa good food ideas main dishes Pasta Primavera June/July 2 green onions, chopped, or 1 cooking onion, coarsely chopped 2 garlic scapes, chopped 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 package pasta, cooked according to directions 1 bunch greens (spinach, chard, Asian greens), washed 1 head broccoli, cut into florets and steamed 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets and steams 1 handful fresh parsley 2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook the pasta and drain, pouring the hot water over the greens to quickly cook them. Saute the onions and garlic scapes in olive oil until soft. Toss the pasta with the olive oil mixture and vegetables. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately!

Polenta with Greens June/July 2-3 green onions 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 bunch greens 1 package polenta, or 1 cup cornmeal cooked in 1 ½ cups water + 1 tsp. salt for approximately 20 minutes (note that the cornmeal won’t get as smooth as store- bought polenta– I find it tastes great regardless) 1 Tbsp. butter ¼ cup cheese, grated (extra-old chedder is my choice, but a milder cheese like mozzarella is nice too) 1 can chickpeas (optional)

Saute the green onions and garlic in the olive oil until soft. Add the greens and optional chick peas and saute until the greens brighten. Cut the polenta into 1" thick slices and fry in the butter. Top with grated cheese and the greens mixture. If using the cornmeal, stir the butter and cheese into the cornmeal mixture and top with the greens.

1 csa good food ideas main dishes Curried Barley Pilaf with Greens June/July 1 cup barley 2 cups water 1 tsp. olive oil 1 tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. curry powder ¼ cup raisins (optional) 1 bunch spinach 1 bunch Kale, chopped coarsely Steamed or sauted vegetables of your choice (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, turnip)

Bring the water to a boil. Add salt, curry powder, raisins and barley and cook 20 minutes, or until all of the liquid is absorbed. Place the greens on top of the barley and cover, to allow them to be steamed. To serve, mix the greens with the barley pilaf, and top with your choice of steamed vegetables.

Spring Stir Fry June/July A stir-fry is a great way to enjoy the freshness of the vegetables from your CSA basket. Serve it over pasta, rice noodles, or rice.

3 garlic scapes, chopped 1" piece of ginger, chopped 1 tsp. sesame oil (or 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil) ¼ cup water or vegetable broth 1 head broccoli, cut into large florets 1 cauliflower, cut into large florets 1 large handful snow peas 1 bunch Asian greens ¼ cup stir-fry sauce of your choice or 2 Tbsp. soy sauce

In a large frying pan or wok, sauté the garlic scapes and ginger in the oil until soft. Add the cauliflower and broccoli, and some of the water or broth. Cover to allow the vegetables to steam. When the cauliflower is almost tender, add the snow peas, Asian greens and the sauce of your choice. Stir-fry another minute and serve.

1 csa good food ideas main dishes Pesto July-September Pesto sauce in and of itself is not a main dish, but it is a great sauce for spaghetti, a wonderful base for a pasta salad, and an alternative to tomato sauce on a pizza. It can also be used to spice up lightly steamed vegetables. Make a large batch when the basil is at its peak, and freeze extra pesto in muffin tins to make "pesto pucks" for future use.

2 generous handfuls basil (Genovese is traditional, but cinnamon basil, lemon basil or purple basil will all work wonderfully and make wonderful variations to traditional pesto) 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped ½ cup olive oil ¼ cup Parmesan cheese ¼ cup pine nuts, chopped finely

Combine all of the ingredients except for the olive oil in a blender. Slowly pour in the olive oil until a paste forms. To make pesto spaghetti, just toss drained pasta with about ¼ cup of the pesto, top with fresh ground pepper, and serve immediately!

Curried Eggplant August/September This is a nice recipe for a cool evening.

2 onions 2 cloves garlic 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 Tbsp. curry powder 1 eggplant, quartered and sliced, tossed with 1 Tbsp. salt and allowed to stand 20 minutes 2 peppers, sliced 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds ¼ cup fresh shelled peas (in season)

Sauté the onions and garlic in the oil until soft. Add the eggplant and peppers and sauté until the eggplant is soft, then add the curry powder to coat. In a second pan, toast the sesame seeds and sprinkle on the curry. Serve it on rice with a salad.

1 csa good food ideas main dishes Grilled Eggplant Sandwich August/September 4 1" thick slices of eggplant 1 Tbsp. soy sauce 1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 tomatoes, sliced 1 handful lettuce/spinach 4 fresh buns

Coat eggplant in soy sauce and let stand for a minute or two. Coat in olive oil and grill on the BBQ or broil in the oven until tender, turning once. To make the sandwich, toast the buns, and place a grilled eggplant slice on each. Top with greens, tomato slices and other toppings (cheese, roasted peppers, avocado, etc) as desired.

Grilled Kabobs August/September 1 cup cherry tomatoes 2 peppers, cut into chunks 2 sweet onions, cut into chunks protein of your choice (chicken or steak in chunks, cubes of tofu marinated in soy sauce and sesame oil)

Make up skewers by alternating the vegetables and protein. Grill until the protein is done and the onions are cooked.

Pasta with Arrabiata Sauce August/September Arrabiata is the classic hot Italian tomato sauce. It’s great served on pasta or as a base for a spicy pizza.

1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp. oil 1 – 3 hot chili peppers, seeded and chopped 4 paste tomatoes 1 can tomato paste (optional)

Sauté the chilies, onion and garlic in the olive oil until the onion is soft. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste, and simmer for about 20 minutes to allow flavours to blend.

1 csa good food ideas main dishes Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce August/September This is a simple chunky sauce that highlights the fresh tomatoes and herbs. Make sure that the pasta is very hot because this sauce is not cooked very long.

1 lb pasta, cooked according to package directions (hot!) 1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 Tbsp. oil 4 tomatoes, chopped 1 handful oregano, parsley, basil or rosemary (or any combination)

Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until the onion is soft. Add the tomatoes and herbs and heat until the tomatoes are heated through. Serve on hot pasta immediately, and top with grated cheese if desired. Ratatouille August/September This is a refreshing French dish that makes a wonderful meal with a piece of grilled meat and a salad.

1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 eggplant, chopped 1 tsp. salt ½ tsp. black pepper 2 tomatoes, chopped 1 leaf lettuce or another green, chopped (yes, just one leaf!) 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme

Sauté the onion and garlic until soft. Add eggplant, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cover until eggplant is tender. Add the tomatoes, lettuce and thyme, and serve immediately.

1 csa good food ideas main dishes Risotto August/September Risotto is an Italian comfort food. This recipe provides the base for making risotto. Steamed vegetables and fresh herbs can be added to change the flavour. Suggested combinations are asparagus, sundried tomatoes and basil; mushroom and thyme; or beets and ginger.

1 onion, chopped 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 cup arborio rice (available at most supermarkets) 4 cups broth Vegetables of your choice, steamed or sautéed Fresh herbs of your choice, chopped

Sauté the onion and rice in the olive oil over medium-high heat, until the onion is slightly browned. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Let simmer, stirring frequently for about 15 minutes, adding water as necessary. Add the vegetables and herbs, and simmer 5 minutes more, until the rice is creamy. This is best served immediately. Summer Stir-Fry August/September This summer stir-fry is a great way to enjoy the diversity of the late summer harvest. Serve it over pasta, rice noodles, or rice.

3 garlic scapes, chopped 1" piece of ginger, chopped 1 tsp. sesame oil (or 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil) ¼ cup water or vegetable broth 1 head broccoli, cut into large florets 1 cauliflower, cut into large florets 2 stalks celery, chopped on the diagonal 2 peppers, cut into strips 1 handful green, yellow or purple beans, whole 1 carrot, sliced thinly on the diagonal ¼ cup stir-fry sauce of your choice or 2 Tbsp. soy sauce

In a large frying pan or wok, sauté the garlic scapes and ginger in the oil until soft. Add the carrots and cauliflower and cook 5 minutes. Next add celery and broccoli, and some of the water or broth. Cover to allow the vegetables to steam. When the cauliflower is almost tender, add the peppers and beans, and the sauce of your choice. Stir-fry another two minutes and serve.

1 csa good food ideas main dishes The Imam Swooned August/September This recipe is based on one from the World Food Café cookbook. According to legend, when this dish was first prepared, it was served to an Imam (Muslim cleric) who was so overwhelmed with the incredible flavour that he swooned and passed out.

1 onion, chopped 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 eggplant, cubed and tossed with 1 tsp. salt 1 small red cabbage, shredded 1 tsp. paprika 2 tomatoes, cubed 1 Tbsp. honey Juice of 1 lemon 1 handful parsley, chopped 1 large spring mint, chopped

Sauté the onion in olive oil in a large pot. Add eggplant and cabbage and cook until eggplant begins to soften. Add paprika and toss vegetables to coat. Add tomatoes and enough water to make a sauce. Allow to simmer until vegetables are soft. Stir in honey and lemon juice and let cook 5 minutes. Add mint and parsley and let stand 5 more minutes, removed from heat before serving.

Vegetarian Chili August-November

Chili is an old standby. This recipe replaces the ground beef with beans and a variety of vegetables. It’s much more refreshing than traditional chili con carne.

1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 0 – 3 hot peppers (adjust to your taste) 1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 bell peppers, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 2-3 large tomatoes, diced or 1 can diced tomatoes ½ cup frozen corn kernels (optional) 1 can each of kidney and black beans 1 handful cilantro

Sauté onion, garlic and hot peppers in oil until onion is soft. Add carrots and celery and cook until celery starts to soften. Add peppers, frozen corn, tomatoes and beans. Allow to simmer for 20-40 minutes to allow flavours to blend. Add cilantro at the last minute. Serve with fresh cornbread or rice and a salad.

1 csa good food ideas main dishes Bosnian Stuffed Vegetables August-November This is typical fare in Sarajevo, where vegetables are always eaten fresh. Usually the dish uses meat instead of TVP (textured vegetable protein, but I find this recipe much leaner and less heavy.

8 small onions, hollowed out (bottoms will be hollow) 4 bell peppers, whole, with stems removed 4 cabbage leaves, steamed 2 cloves garlic 1 can tomato paste 1 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped 1 cup TVP, soaked in 1 cup boiling water (TVP is available at health food stores) 1 cup cooked rice 1 handful fresh parsley 2 cups broth Sour cream for garnish

Hollow the onions so that only 2-3 layers remain. Chop the inner parts of the onion that were removed and sauté with garlic in the oil until softened. Add the TVP, rice, tomato paste and herbs and cook until heated through. Allow to cool slightly before stuffing into the onions, peppers and cabbage leaves. Place all stuffed vegetables in a casserole dish and add the vegetable broth. Bake until the onions and peppers are soft. Serve garnished with sour cream.

Vegetable Alicha August-November Alicha is an Ethiopian dish that combines a variety of vegetables and spices.

1 onion, cut into cubes 1" piece of ginger, chopped finely 1 – 4 chilies, seeded and chopped 2 Tbsp. oil 1 tsp. turmeric ½ tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper 1 cabbage, cut into wedges 2 potatoes, cubed 2 carrots, cut into 1" lengths

Sauté the onion, ginger and chilies in oil until softened. Add vegetables, salt and turmeric and enough water to put 2" of water in the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer until vegetables are cooked. Serve with brown rice or flatbread and a salad.

1 csa good food ideas main dishes Autumn Stir-fry October/November This fall stir-fry is a great way to enjoy the freshness of the fall harvest. Serve it over pasta, rice noodles, or rice.

3 garlic scapes, chopped 1" piece of ginger, chopped 1 tsp. sesame oil (or 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil) ¼ cup water or vegetable broth 1 head broccoli, cut into large florets 1 cauliflower, cut into large florets 2 stalks celery, sliced diagonally in 2" lengths 1 carrot, sliced thinly on the diagonal 1 bunch Asian greens ¼ cup stir-fry sauce of your choice or 2 Tbsp. soy sauce

In a large frying pan or wok, sauté the garlic scapes and ginger in the oil until soft. Add the carrots and cauliflower and cook 5 minutes. Next add celery and broccoli, and some of the water or broth. Cover to allow the vegetables to steam. When the cauliflower is almost tender, add the Asian greens and the sauce of your choice. Stir-fry another minute and serve. Curried Lentils with Apples and Onions October/November 1 small apple, chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 tsp. oil 1 can lentils, rinsed and drained 1 tsp. curry powder

Sauté the apple and onion in the oil until soft. Add the can of lentils and curry powder and heat through. Serve on rice with frozen peas. Curried Squash October/November 2 sweet onions 2 cloves garlic 2 Tbsp. olive oil 2 tsp. whole cumin seed 1 winter squash, cubed

Sauté the onions and garlic in oil. Add the cumin seed and squash. Sauté until squash is tender, adding water as necessary.

1 csa good food ideas main dishes Shepherds Pie October/November 1 onion, chopped 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 lb ground beef or 2 cups TVP, soaked in 3 cups of water + 2 Tbsp. soy sauce 2 carrots, chopped 1 bunch chard, chopped 1 can cream of mushroom soup 4 potatoes, cubed

Sauté the onion in olive oil until lightly browned. Add ground beef or TVP and carrots and sauté until carrots are cooked. Add chard, and heat until bright green. Stir in the can of soup. Boil the potatoes, remove from the heat, drain and mash.

To assemble the shepherds pie, layer the meat and vegetable mixture in the bottom of the pan. Top with mashed potatoes. Bake about 40 minutes uncovered, until mashed potatoes are browned slightly.

Winter Vegetable Couscous October/November This dish traditionally uses chunks of lamb, which is readily available at the farm store. If you prefer, chickpeas are a traditional alternative.

1 onion 1 lb. Lamb, cubed (optional) 1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 potatoes 2 carrots 1 parsnip 2 cups vegetable broth 1 cup couscous 2-3 Tbsp. butter 1 can chick peas (optional)

Soak the couscous in an equal volume of water, adding water as necessary to ensure that it doesn’t dry out. Sauté the onion and cubed lamb in the olive oil until browned. Boil the potatoes, carrots and parsnips in the vegetable broth until tender. Add the couscous, butter, chickpeas/lamb and onions. Serve.

1 csa good food ideas main dishes Tabikh By Amy

This recipe ran in 2001& 2002 newsletters, to good reviews. It is a good way to use up vegetables you don’t know what to do with, (fennel, summer squash, and zucchini included!) since it is so versatile, and makes everything delicious.

Traditionally, this dish is served with a Egyptian rice and vermicelli dish, but serve it with bread, rice, or whatever!

5 medium sized tomatoes, diced 1 onion, diced 2 cups random vegetables, whatever is around (eggplant, beans, summer squash, and cabbage are my favorites!) 1 cup red lentils 2 cups water 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp ground coriander 1 tbsp olive oil 2 cloves garlic, crushed salt, pepper and chilis to taste

In a saucepan, with the oil, gently fry the onion, garlic, and spices until the onion softens. Add everything else to the pot and stir. Put a lid on the pot and allow to simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the lentils are soft. Make sure that the pot has enough water – add more if needed! Serve with rice.

Summer Zucchini with Pasta Based on a recipe by Pauline MacDonald

This is a wonderfully fast and light meal to whip up on a hot day. Use zucchini or any summer squash to make this recipe. 3 lb zucchini, grated 4 tbsp butter or oil 2 tsp oregano, basil or parsley (or some of each, more or less!) Salt and pepper to taste ¾ to 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese (or 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast)

Heat the butter or oil in a saute pan. Add zucchini and cook until barely tender, stirring to coat.. Add herbs of your choice and season with salt & pepper. Serve over pasta, sprinkled with parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast. Enjoy!

1 csa good food ideas main dishes Spanakopita A delicious meal, or appetizer, traditionally from Greece, it is very popular, and will use lots (or all) of your spinach. Or try it with the other greens, like komatsuna or swiss chard. Phyllo pastry is available at most grocery stores in the freezer section. Make sure while working with phyllo pastry to keep it covered with a plastic bag, or a damp towel to prevent it from drying out. Including the feta and olives makes this dish wonderfully rich!

½ pound spinach leaves, coarsely chopped 1 medium onion, chopped fine 1 tbsp each fresh mint, and oregano 1 tbsp + 3 tbsp olive oil ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional) ¼ cup chopped black olives (optional) 10 sheets of phyllo pastry

In a large frying pan, fry the onion with the olive oil until the onion softens. Throw in the spinach and herbs, stirring well until the spinach wilts. Cook gently for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Drain any extra juice that may be around the spinach. Add the cheese and olives to the spinach if desired and mix well.

There are 2 common ways to make up the spanakopita: in a baking dish, or folded individually. In the baking dish, the spanakopita comes out almost like a savory strudel, and is quicker than individually folding each pocket.

Baking dish method: Take 1 sheet of phyllo, and brush it gently with olive oil, place another sheet on top of it and likewise gently brush it with olive oil. Continue in this fashion until all the sheets are used up. Then pour the spinach mix onto the oiled phyllo along one side. Roll the phyllo dough up like a jelly roll, spinach side first. Place onto a cookie sheet, or in a baking dish, and bake at 350ºF until the crust it golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Folded method: Take the sheets of phyllo pastry and cut into long strips about 4 inches wide. Take one strip, gently oiled, and place a spoonful of the spinach on the corner. Fold the corner over and over, making triangles, wrapping the spinach in phyllo. Bake at 350ºF for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Fill any leftover phyllo pastry with brown sugar, cinnamon and walnuts, baked at 350ºF for 10 minutes or until golden. Yummy!

1 csa good food ideas main dishes Almost Sun-Dried Tomato and Roasted Pepper Spaghetti Sauce August/September By Amy Proulx Serve this hot on pasta for a tasty treat!

16 quarts tomato pulp 4 quarts diced tomatoes 4 cup sun dried tomatoes (or homemade almost sun-drieds – see freezing/canning section) 2 lb sweet peppers (red is nicest, but any colour will do) 1 c fresh oregano ½ cup minced garlic 1 Tbsp ground black pepper

Place everything in a pot. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 2 hours, or until reduced to a thick consistency. Stir often! Can in jars, or freeze.

Potato and Cheddar Cheese Torte October/November By Amy Proulx

2 lb potatoes, sliced thin into rounds ½ lb grated cheddar cheese 5 large cabbage leaves, or kale leaves 4 slices of bacon 1 tbsp oil 1 tsp caraway seed, salt, pepper to taste

Fry the bacon until crisp, crumble and save. Chop the cabbage leaves into fine pieces.

Oil a springform pan generously. Spread one round layer of potato rounds onto the pan. Sprinkle with cheese, cabbage, bacon, caraway seed, salt and pepper. Repeat, making a layer of potatoes, a layer of cheese, cabbage and bacon bits. Continue in this pattern until you are out of potatoes. Finish with a layer of cheese and bake covered at 350ºF for 50 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Finish with 5 minutes under the broiler to brown the cheese. Unmold and serve like pie.

1 csa good food ideas main dishes Fresh Fennel and Tomato sauce August/September By Amy Proulx

I am a firm believer that you can make a delicious pasta sauce during the time it takes to boil the water for the noodles. This recipe is no exception, and uses the elusive fennel which has been confounding some of your taste sensibilities. I'm sure this won't make fennel converts out of all of you, but it might.

2 cup diced plum tomatoes 1 bulb fennel, sliced thinly 1 Tbsp oil 1 clove minced garlic Salt and pepper

In a large frying pan, over medium heat gently fry the fennel and garlic in oil until the fennel begins to soften. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper, and saute until the tomatoes soften. Serve over pasta.

Fettuccini Spinaci June/July & September/October by Mary Sojcznyski

3 cups freshly packed spinach or baby swiss chard 1 cup parmesian cheese ½ cup olive oil ⅓ cup chicken broth ¼ cup melted butter 2 cloves garlic (more is always better) 340 grams fettuccine noodles Cook spinach and mix with cheese, oil, chicken broth, butter and garlic, which has been heated over low heat. Blend in blender until smooth. Cook fettuccine and drain. Mix together with spinach sauce and enjoy. Clean Out the Fridge BBQ Stir-Fry By Mary Sojczynski

This recipe is great for B.B.Q’ ers, using a B.B.Q Wok. (They come either square or round and they have holes in them and you place them on the grill of the B.B.Q.)

Coarsely chop any combination of any of the following vegetables you may have hanging around your fridge and toss with olive oil and pepper: snow peas, green peas and snap peas green onions green beans white onions swiss chard broccoli and cauliflower carrots yellow and green squash mushrooms red, green, yellow and orange peppers basil and cilantro

Place in wok and B.B.Q at high temperature for 10 minutes stirring regularly.

1 csa good food ideas main dishes Tatsoi Sesame Stirfry June/July & September/October By Amy

Any of the leafy greens, the komatsuna, tatsoi, collards, even the turnip greens can be quickly cooked up in a gentle stirfry to enhance their flavours, and add some flashy green to your dinner. Sesame oil is a strongly flavoured, nutty oil that is popular in oriental cuisine.

½ lb firm tofu or 2-3 chicken breasts, chopped into bite size strips or cubes 2 cups leafy greens, coarsely chopped 1 red pepper, cut into thin strips 3-4 garlic scapes, finely chopped

½ Tbsp oil 1 tsp sesame oil 1 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce 1 Tbsp frozen orange juice from concentrate (or ¼ cup normal orange juice) 1 Tbsp sesame seeds

In a large frying pan or wok, at medium high heat, fry the chicken or tofu in the oil, sesame oil, and garlic scapes until well cooked, about 5-7 minutes for the chicken and 3-5 minutes for the tofu, stirring frequently. Add in the leafy greens, the red pepper, orange juice, tamari and sesame seeds, and stir the mixture until the greens wilt. Garnish with more sesame seeds if desired, and serve with rice, or noodles. Cheese and Swiss Chard Manicotti All Season By Mary Sojczynski

Large bunch Swiss Chard or substitute Pak Choy, Komatsuna, or Tatsoi 454 grams ricotta cheese ½ cup grated mozzarella cheese ¼ cup freshly chopped parsley ½ cup parmesan cheese pepper and salt to taste 1 egg 1 box manicotti noodles 1can of pureed tomatoes or your favourite tomato sauce (from the CSA canning workshop!) extra parmesan cheese

Boil Swiss Chard or alternate green. Cut it up and allow it to drain. Mix in separate bowl cheeses, parsley, salt & pepper, & egg. Add boiled Swiss Chard and mix. Boil a box of manicotti noodles in salt water as directed and stuff with cheese and Swiss Chard mixture. Place in a casserole dish and top with tomato sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese Bake uncovered at 350ºF for about 35 minutes.

1 csa good food ideas desserts

Desserts Vegetable Cake Full Season Melon Ice August/September Zucchini Bread Full Season Applesauce August-November Dipping Kabobs September Muesli September Apple Pie September-November Apple Strudel September-November Cheater’s Apple Crumble September-November Pumpkin Pie October/November

1 csa good food ideas desserts Vegetable Cake Full Season This is a novel alternative to carrot cake from the Mennonite Treasury of Recipes. You can also try substituting turnip for either the carrots or beets for yet another variation.

1 cup oil 1 ½ cups sugar 3 egg yolks 3 Tbsp. hot water 1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup ground beets (raw) 1 cup ground carrots (raw) 2 cups flour 2 tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon ½ cup chopped nuts (optional) 3 stiffly beaten egg whites

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Beat together the oil, sugar, egg yolks, hot water and vanilla until light and fluffy. Mix in beets and carrots. Add dry ingredients and nuts, if using. Lastly, fold in egg whites. Pout into a greased oblong cake pan and bake 30-35 minutes.

Melon Ice August/September

This is a really refreshing dessert and can be made as an ice (with an ice cream maker*) or as popsicles.

1 large, ripe melon 2-3 Tbsp. sugar (to taste)

Using a melon baller, separate the edible portions of the melon from the peel and seed. Puree, and add sugar to taste. Freeze in an ice cream maker (for ice) or in a popsicle mold for popsicles.

If you don’t have an ice cream maker, but do have children (or are willing to play), you can make "tin can ice" using this old Guide camp trick: Take 2 sealable cans of different sizes (large and small coffee cans are ideal – one must fit completely inside the other with a 1" gap (minimum) around the sides) and put the melon ice (or any other frozen dessert) in the smaller can. Fill the gap with ice cubes and sprinkle with coarse salt. Then seal the larger can (tape it shut to be safe) and roll it back and forth across the floor between two people (sitting about 5-10 feet apart works best) for about 10-15 minutes, or until frozen. Serve!

1 csa good food ideas desserts Zucchini Bread Full Season By Amy

3 Tbsp. oil 1 cup sugar ½ cup grated apple or carrot 2 eggs, beaten 1 cup grated zucchini 1 ½ cups flour 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon ¾ tsp. baking soda ¼ tsp. baking powder ⅓ cup chopped nuts or raisins optional

Mix the oil, sugar, apple or carrot, eggs and zucchini together until well mixed. Stir together dry ingredients until well blended. Gently add to zucchini mixture. Mix until everything is just moistened. Pour batter into greased 8x4 inch loaf pan. Bake at 325 F for approximately 1 hour or until tester comes out clean. Or pour into muffin tins and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

Applesauce August-November This is an all-purpose recipe for a chunky applesauce. For a smoother version, peel the apples and puree the final apple sauce.

2 apples, peeled or unpeeled (they are organic, after all), quartered, cored and sliced 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 Tbsp. brown sugar

In a small pot or microwavable bowl, combine all ingredients. Microwave for 1-2 minutes on high power, or cook with a bit of water for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Serve hot or cold alone or with ice cream or pancakes.

Dipping Kabobs September This is a simple fruit dessert for a picnic or kid’s party.

2 apples, quartered and cored, coated lightly with lemon juice to prevent browning 1 melon, balled 1 cup vanilla yogurt (or plain yogurt + 2 Tbsp. honey + ½ tsp. vanilla extract)

Alternate the apple and melon chunks on toothpicks. Dip in the yogurt.

1 csa good food ideas desserts Muesli September Muelsi is not actually a dessert, but is actually the traditional Swiss breakfast food. It’s so delicious, however, that we’ve included it here, though you can easily eat it for breakfast!

¼ cup oat flakes or millet 1 apple, grated ¼ melon, cut into chunks any other seasonal fruit (especially berries) or dried fruit 1 Tbsp. sliced nuts of your choice ½ cup milk, soy milk or yogurt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and allow to sit refrigerated overnight. Top with toasted seeds or nuts and honey if you have a sweet tooth. Apple Pie September-November Oven-ready pie crusts make this an easy dessert to make.

4 apples, peeled or unpeeled (they are organic, after all), quartered, cored and sliced 2 tsp. cinnamon ¼ cup brown sugar 1 unbaked pie crust

Combine the apples, cinnamon and brown sugar in a bowl. Pour this filling into the piecrust and bake according to the pie crust instructions (usually 45 minutes or so at 400ºF). Serve with vanilla ice cream or old cheddar cheese. Apple Strudel September-November Phyllo pastry makes this dish fairly straight-forward. Remember to let the phyllo defrost fully before unrolling it!

4 apples, peeled or unpeeled, quartered, cored and sliced 2 tsp. cinnamon ¼ cup brown sugar 5 sheets phyllo pastry (use the rest for baklava, spanakopita or more strudel) ½ cup butter, melted

Combine the apples, cinnamon and brown sugar in a small pot. Cook with a bit of water for about 5 minutes over medium heat.

Grease a cookie sheet well, and lay a piece of phyllo pastry down on it. Butter the top side and lay another piece on top. Repeat until you have 5 layers of pastry. Fill the center third with apple mixture and fold the pastry around it on both sides. Butter the top and make knife cuts through the top layers of pastry, perpendicular to the longest side. Bake at 400oF (see recommended temperature on phyllo box) for about 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.

1 csa good food ideas desserts Cheater’s Apple Crumble September-November This is the quickest apple crumble recipe I know of – using a microwave to precook the apples makes this a 20 minute dessert!

4 apples, peeled or unpeeled (they are organic, after all), quartered, cored and sliced 2 tsp. cinnamon 2 Tbsp. water ½ cup brown sugar ¼ cup butter ½ - 1 cup large flake oats

Combine the apples, water and cinnamon in a microwave and oven-proof dish. Microwave on high power for 5-8 minutes, until apples are mostly cooked. While apples are cooking, combine the brown sugar, butter and ½ cup oatmeal, adding additional oatmeal until you get the desired "crumble". When the apples are mostly cooked, remove from microwave and top with the topping. Bake at 400oF until the crumble is cooked. Serve as-is, with yogurt or with vanilla ice cream.

Pumpkin Pie October/November Believe it or not, you can replace the pumpkin with carrots to make this earlier in the season.

1 ½ cups pie pumpkin, carrots or winter squash, cubed, boiled and mashed or pureéd 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed ½ tsp. salt 2 tsp. cinnamon ½ tsp. ginger ⅛ tsp. nutmeg ⅛ tsp. ground allspice 3 eggs, slightly beaten 12 oz. can of evaporated milk 1 unbaked pie shell

Combine the pumpkin (or substitute) , sugar, salt, spices and molasses. Add eggs and evaporated milk and mix thoroughly. Pour into the unbaked pie shell and bake at 425°F for 40-45 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean.

1 Freezing & Canning Freezing Short Term Canning Ajvar August/September

Antipasto August/September Long Term Canning Dilled Beets Full Season Pickled Beets Full season Bread & Butter pickles July-August Dill Pickles July-August Chili Sauce August/September Dilled Vegetables Full Season Stewed Tomatoes August/September Sweet Corn Relish September Pickled Pumpkin October/November Kyabetsu To Ninjin No Asazuke Full Season Fermented Dill Pickles August/September Tomato Paste August/September Cilantro and Lime Salsa (not hot!) August/September Chili Sauce (sweet not hot) August/September Almost Sundried Tomatoes August/September Mrs. Proulx's Chili Sauce August/September csa good food ideas freezing and canning Freezing

Blanching is necessary when freezing any raw vegetables, to prevent them from turning to mush. To blanch vegetables, half fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Fill another container (your sink works well) with very cold water (preferably ice water). Have this container near the pot of boiling water, since you will be transferring the vegetables from the boiling water to the ice water to stop the cooking. When the water is boiling, add the vegetables and cook long enough to soften slightly – 15 seconds or so for light greens, up to 2 minutes for larger vegetables like cauliflower. As soon as the colour begins to brighten, remove the vegetables from the pot and put in the ice water until cool. Allow to dry, and put in a freezer bag. When the bag is full, seal it almost fully and suck the remaining air out with a straw so that there is no air left in the bag. This will prevent freezer burn and the greens will keep for almost a year. To defrost the vegetables, fill the bag with cold water.

The following vegetables freeze very well – some comments have been added for special preparation: - all greens - broccoli and cauliflower (cut into florets) - green peppers (cut out stem and remove seeds – can be frozen whole) - beans, snow peas and snap peas - cabbage (in leaves)

Root vegetables don’t need to be frozen, and generally don’t freeze well.

Short Term Canning

These "canning" recipes are best kept for short periods of time (less than a month) in the fridge since they should actually be hot-packed, though few people own a hot-packer these days. (If you do, feel free to use it with these recipes to keep them throughout the winter.)

1 csa good food ideas freezing and canning Ajvar August/September Ajvar (pronounced Ay-var) is a Croatian roasted vegetable spread that is wonderful on sandwiches or as a condiment with grilled meats (especially chicken or fish). This makes about one quart

1 eggplant, cut in half and roasted until tender 2 red bell peppers (yellow will do but aren’t ideal), seeded and cut in half and roasted until tender 1 large paste tomato 2 cloves garlic, roasted 1-3 Hot peppers (optional) Juice of 1 lemon ¼ - ½ cup olive oil

Roast the eggplant, bell peppers and garlic by tossing with olive oil and baking at 400ºF for about 40 minutes. Let cool. Peel the peppers and scoop out the eggplant, leaving the skin behind. Puree all ingredients in a food processor and put in a jar. Top with a bit of extra oil if you want to store it longer than 2 weeks.

Antipasto August/September We came across this recipe by reading the side of a jar of gourmet antipasto and nixing the tuna and preservatives. If you use sweet pickled onions, you don’t need to add any sugar, which really speeds things up. Have 4 quart jars sterlized – this will keep well in the fridge or can be hot-packed to keep at room temperature. Serve it on crackers as an appetizer

1 cup green beans 1-2 carrots ½ medium head cauliflower 1-2 peppers ½ cup sweet pickled onions ½ cup pitted olives (your choice – I find a mix of black and green is nice) 1–2 tomatoes ¼ cup vinegar (or brine from pickled onions) with ¼ cup of sugar dissolved in it

Combine all vegetables in the food processor in batches and chop coarsely. Mix in the vinegar. Pack into sterlized jars and process about 10 minutes to cook the vegetables. Store as you feel comfortable (we stored it in the fridge because we didn’t know for sure that this was enough vinegar to cold pack it safely, and don’t have a cold packer).

1 csa good food ideas freezing and canning Long Term Canning Canning can be quite time-intensive, but makes for a very satisfying shared work bee with friends. Prior to giving actual recipes, the general procedure for canning is given.

There are three main steps in canning. First, the jars and lids must be sterilized. To sterilize jars, boil them completely covered with water for 30 minutes and keep in the boiling water until ready for packing. Lids need only be boiled for 5 minutes (disc part only) and should be kept in the hot water until used. Next, the jars are packed - before starting to pack the jars, ensure that everything is handy, since the jars should spend the least time possible out of the hot water bath. Pack the jars according to recipe instructions, and fill leaving about ½" (1cm) of air at the top to facilitate sealing. Process the jars by putting them in a boiling water bath for the time given in the recipe (usually about 10 minutes). Remove from the boiling water and allow to stand until it seals. Let stand a total of 24 hours before moving to storage. Store in a cool, dry, and dark place.

The following recipes were provided by the Smith family (Rob the intern 2003) Aunt’s and Uncles and go back generations!

Dilled Beets Full Season This recipe makes 2 quarts – scale it up to make more.

2 or 3 large (or 4 medium) beets, peeled 1 cup vinegar 1 cup water 3 Tbsp. pickling salt 2 heads dill

Prepare the brine by boiling together the vinegar, water and salt. Keep hot. Cut the beets into quarters and slice cross-wise into _" (1 cm) thick slices. Place them and a head of dill into a sterilized jar. Pour the boiling brine into the jar, put on the lid, and process 15 minutes.

1 csa good food ideas freezing and canning Pickled Beets Full season 2 ½ pounds fresh small beets, keep 1” stem to maintain the colour ½ cup white sugar ¾ tsp. pickling salt 1 cup white vinegar 1 tablespoon whole cloves

1. Place beets in a large stockpot with water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15-30 minutes. Drain, reserving 2 cups of the beet water. Cool and peel the beets the skin will come off easily.

2. Sterilize jars and lids by immersing in boiling water for at least 10 minutes. Fill each jar with beets and add several whole cloves to each jar.

3. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, beet water, vinegar, and pickling salt. Bring to a rapid boil. Pour the hot brine over the beets in the jars, and seal lids. Store in a cool dark place, and refrigerate after opening. Bread & Butter Pickles July-August These are sweet pickles (often sold as yum-yums) that are really popular and are a great alternative to dill pickles for those with a sweeter tooth. This recipe makes about 8 quarts but can be scaled right down (see end of recipe)

25-30 pickling cucumbers, sliced crosswise into ¼" thick slices 8 large onions, sliced thinly ½ cup pickling salt 2-3 green peppers, julienned

Slice the pickling cucumbers, green peppers and onions as described above. Mix together, then sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 3 hours in a large bowl, covered with a tray of ice cubes to keep chilled. While these are chilling, prepare the brine by boiling together:

5 cups vinegar 5 cups sugar 1 tsp. turmeric 2 tsp. celery seed or celery salt 2 Tbsp. mustard seed.

Drain the vegetables and add to the boiling brine. Pack in hot jars, leaving ½" headspace and seal. Process in boiling water bath 10 minutes. Let stand 24 hours before storing. Store in a dark place.

To scale, use the same proportions in the brine or keep extra brine in the fridge a few days and use to make sweet pickled onions (just pickle whole small onions instead of the peppers or pickles).

4 quarts: 15 pickling cucumbers, 4 onions, ¼ cup salt 2 quarts: 8 pickling cucumbers, 2 onions, 2 Tbsp. salt 1 quart: 4 pickling cucumbers, 1 onion, 1 Tbsp. salt

1 csa good food ideas freezing and canning Dill Pickles July-August This old family recipe makes about 6 liter jars of pickles, depending on the size. Have extra jars around in case there are too many to fit, as not to slow down the canning process too much.

½ bushel pickling cucumbers

Brine: 3 cups vinegar 3 cups water ½ cup pickling salt dill (1 head + 2 leaves per jar) garlic (lots!)

Scrub the cucumbers with a soft brush the night before you can to remove the little black "prickles". Soak them overnight in ice water to get off any other dirt.

Sterilize the jars and make up the brine by boiling together the water, vinegar and salt in a large pot. Meanwhile, peel the cloves of garlic and cut the dill flowers and leaves and make a pile of garlic cloves and dill for each jar (to make packing easier). When the jars and lids are sterilized and the brine is boiled, drain the cucumbers and bring them to the packing area.

To pack, put the garlic and dill in the bottom of a jar and stuff it with as many cucumbers as possible (a jar holder or oven mitt is essential for this since the jars should not be allowed to cool). Pour boiling brine into the jar and fill to ½" below the top of the jar. Seal and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Remove jars from boiling water and let stand 24 hours before moving to storage (they can be moved around the kitchen a bit, but shouldn’t be shaken up or laid on their sides, or exposed to sudden cooling). Chili Sauce August/September This is an old family recipe that usually winds up as the base for tacos or spaghetti sauce. It makes 6 pints.

12 large tomatoes (10 cups) 2-3 onions, diced 1-2 green peppers, diced 1 red sweet pepper, diced 1 hot pepper (optional) or 1 yellow sweet pepper, diced 1 stalk celery, diced 2 cups vinegar 2 cups sugar 1 Tbsp. salt 1 Tbsp. cinnamon

Combine vegetables, vinegar and salt. Cook for 3 hours on low-medium heat, spooning off excess liquid. 45 minutes before the end of cooking, add the sugar and cinnamon. Pack into sterilized jars and process.

1 csa good food ideas freezing and canning Dilled Vegetables Full Season

This recipe makes about 4 pints (2 quarts) of dilled vegetables. It can be scaled, and a wide variety of vegetables can be canned with the same brine, so make a lot of brine and enjoy experimenting!

2 lbs. vegetables (trimmed green beans, broccoli or cauliflower florets, or julienned carrots) 1 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional) 4 cloves garlic 4 heads dill weed ¼ cup pickling salt 2 ½ cups water 2 ½ cups white vinegar

Make brine by boiling vinegar, water and salt together. Sterilize jars. Pack vegetables (lengthwise for beans or carrots)into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch head space. For each pint, add ¼ tsp. cayenne, 1 clove garlic, and 1 head dill. Pour boiling brine into the packed jars, leaving a ¼" head space at the top of each jar. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Yields about 4 pints or 2 quarts. Stewed Tomatoes August/September Stewing tomatoes is dead easy once you get them peeled, and it makes for a wonderful treat in the middle of winter – serve chilled with salt and pepper!

Lots of tomatoes (a bushel is a great amount to get you through the winter) Pickling salt (about 1 tsp. for every 5 tomatoes)

Bring a pot of water to a boil and dip the tomatoes in for about 15-30 seconds, and transfer to a sink (or container) full of ice water to shock it. Peel the tomatoes (the heating and cooling should make this fairly easy) and put into a second pot. Add the salt and cook the tomatoes about 20 minutes. Ladle into sterlized jars and seal.

1 csa good food ideas freezing and canning Sweet Corn Relish September This recipe makes 8 pints and is a great garnish for sausages, grilled meats and fish, and can be added to bean salads for a great twist.

1 large head cabbage, shredded 2 large onions, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 1 sweet red pepper, chopped 10 cups whole kernel corn (fresh is best, canned or frozen are ok) 2 Tbsp. dry mustard 1 ½ tsp. flour ½ tsp. turmeric 4 cups cider vinegar 2 cups sugar 2 Tbsp. slat

Combine vegetables in a large pot. Mix together the mustard, flour and turmeric with ¼ cup of vinegar and blend well. Add this to the vegetables and coat well. Add the rest of the vinegar, and the sugar and salt to the vegetables. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Ladle into jars and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Pickled Pumpkin October/November This is a novel and unique "pickle" that is pleasantly sweet and spicy, and a great use for pumpkin.

2 cinnamon sticks 2 pieces fresh ginger, ½" long, peeled 1 Tbsp. whole allspice 2 tsp. whole cloves 6 lbs. pumpkins, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes 5 cups sugar 4 cups cider or white vinegar 3 cups water ⅓ cup orange juice concentrate, thawed

In a large pot, combine the sugar, vinegar, water, and spices. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Add the pumpkin and orange juice concentrate and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes (or until pumpkin is just tender).

To pack, pick out the pumpkin using a slotted spoon and fill pint jars. Ladle the syrup to fill the jars within ½" of the top. Process for 10 minutes.

1 csa good food ideas freezing and canning

All recipes below contributed by Amy Proulx Kyabetsu To Ninjin No Asazuke Full Season (pickled cabbage and carrot)

⅜ pound of tatsoi, komatsuna or any thick leafy cabbage like green, cut fine 1 medium sized carrot, cut into matchstick slices 4 tablespoons salt

Place the vegetables into a tub and add 1 tsp salt. Mix well. Add another tablespoon of salt, and mix well. Keep adding the salt tablespoon at a time, with lots of mixing. Once all the salt is added, place a weight on to the top of the vegetables – e.g. a saucer weighted with a book, or something heavy. Leave the vegetables overnight, or at least 10 hours at room temperature. Remove the vegetables, rinse gently with cold water, and pat dry. Serve with rice. Fermented Dill Pickles August/September Amy’s Hungarian next door neighbour used to stick big gallon jars of these up on the fence posts of the tobacco fields to get some tasty free floating bacteria in them. I made some up last week, and they were all gobbled up by my barbecuing friends.

5 cucumbers, sliced into ¼ " slices 2 tbsp pickling salt (no iodized salt!) 1 handful dill 5 cloves garlic spring water to cover everything (no chlorinated water!)

Mix the cucumbers, salt, dill and garlic in a large glass mixing bowl. Cover with a plate, and place a weight, such as a large clean plastic tub filled with water on the plate to hold the cucumbers under the water. Cover everything with water so that everything is under about 1 ½" of water. Let sit in a warm, but not too hot place and let the cucumbers bubble away! Once they stop bubbling, the cucumbers can be packed into jars and stored in the fridge for 4-6 months. Filter the brine through a coffee filter if it is too cloudy for you. If the cucumbers get soft and slimy throw them out. They should stay firm.

1 csa good food ideas freezing and canning Tomato Paste August/September Make tomato pulp using a food mill that will remove the skins and most of the seeds from the tomatoes. Place the tomato pulp in a crock pot on low with the lid propped open with a fork or spoon, to allow steam to escape. Stir every 2 hours, and reduce until thick. I like to freeze tomato paste in ice cube trays, and pop the formed ice cubes into freezer bags for long term storage. I can always fetch a couple cubes, depending how much paste I need. Cilantro and Lime Salsa (not hot!) August/September 20 quarts diced plum tomatoes 3 lb diced sweet pepper 3 large diced red onions 2 cup chopped cilantro zest and juice of 4 limes ¼ c minced garlic 3 Tbsp sea salt 2 finely chopped jalapeno peppers

Place everything in a pot. Bring to a boil, and let simmer for 5 minutes. Can in jars, or freeze. Chili Sauce (sweet not hot) August/September 20 quarts tomato pulp - either use a tomato pulper, or run tomatoes through food processor 4 lb apples, cored and minced (run through processor) 1 cup apple cider vinegar 1 cup brown sugar ½ cup minced garlic 4 cayenne peppers - 2 whole, 2 minced 4 cinnamon sticks 4 bay leaves 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon 1 Tbsp ground allspice 1 Tbsp ground black pepper 3 Tbsp sea salt

Place everything in a pot. Bring to a boil, and let simmer for 3 hours, or until reduced to a thick consistency. Stir often! Can in jars, or freeze.

1 csa good food ideas freezing and canning Almost Sundried Tomatoes August/September Paste tomatoes Salt, if you like salty sundried tomatoes An oven

Cut paste tomatoes in half and place on a cookie sheet skin side down and pulp side up. Gently sprinkle the tomatoes with salt if you like. Then place the tomatoes in the oven, (it works well if you just baked something and the oven is cooling down) at the lowest temperature possible. Leave the tomatoes in, checking them every hour or two, until they are dried almost crispy. Store in an airtight jar or tub. Mrs. Proulx's Chili Sauce August/September (Amy's Grandmother)

7-8 pint bottles 10-12 large tomatoes 4 large onions 2 red peppers 2 green peppers 1 or 2 medium hot peppers (optional) ..don't use seeds if you don't like it too hot. 3 stalks celery 6 apples

Chop (or throw in your food processor if you don't mind quite fine chili sauce). I like mine chunky, but I do process onions and celery and hot peppers.

To the pot add: 1 ½ cups white vinegar (cider vinegar makes a sweeter chili) 2 Tbsp. coarse salt 2 tsp. cinnamon 2 tsp. ginger 1 tsp. ground cloves

Cook all for one hour on med low to med high heat (make sure it doesn't scorch), then add: 1 cup brown sugar

Cook another hour. (at the workshop we boiled everything together from the very beginning.)

Chili sauce should be bubbling when you pour into sterilized jars. Fill to about 1/2 inch from the top, put on new lids, cap and turn ring gently until tight. Process in boiling water for 10 minutes, then leave at room temperature overnight. Check the jars for good quality seals.

1 Appendices

Things to do with Daikon

Root veggies you may not know

Herbs…and the flowers… csa good food ideas appendices Appendices Things to do with Daikon: By Amy 1. Julienne or grate the root and serve it over salad. Daikon spike of flavour with wasabi vinaigrette 2. Chop it finely and serve it with sushi, or in sushi. 3. Serve it as crudités. Let it make friends with some carrot and celery sticks on a platter of chopped up vegetables 4. Do as the Japanese do, slice it fine, cover it in water and a generous sprinkle of salt in a large bowl, weigh it down under the water with a saucer, and leave it out on the counter for 24h. Drain, rinse with water, and serve with rice, teriyaki beef or tofu, and some steamed leafy greens. 5. Mix it in with some Kimchi – 1 chopped Chinese cabbage, 1 chopped cayenne pepper, 1 chopped daikon, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp soy sauce or fish sauce, 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar, and let it pickle away on the counter for a couple days. 6. Slice thin and slide it into a sandwich

Root veggies you may not know:

Celeriac , also called root celery. It is the same species as celery, but a different variety. The root tissue is enlarged to a globe shape. Celeriac is usually grown in areas such as north and eastern Europe where stalk celery is not adapted. It is usually cooked, but also used raw in salads, is pickled, and is canned. Root celery has a stronger flavour than stalk celery. It is excellent in winter soups!

Parsley Root is a variety of the same species as parsley, sometimes called petrouska. Both roots and foliage are used in soups and stews. A farmer Heather previously worked with declared that no chicken noodle soup should be without it!

1 csa good food ideas herbs Herbs We would like to share with you a few notes on some herbs you can find in the CSA herb garden. There are labels out there to help you identify which herb is which. Here are some ideas what to do with the different herbs:

Chives – these are the round chives with the big purple flowers. Add them to pasta, salads, you name it! The flowers are also very potent in flavour so add them as a garnish with zing. The large flowers can be separated into many smaller blossoms which are wonderful (and beautiful) added to a bean salad instead of onions.

Garlic Chives – these are the flat chives. They’ve got a wonderfully distinct garlic flavour and will be great in anything that usually uses garlic and onions.

Lemon Balm – a lovely lemony tea can be made from the leaves, or use the leaves in a chicken dish that would enjoy a bit of lemon zest.

Sorrel – Wow! If you like a sour kick to your salad, add some chopped up leaves to a green salad. Excellent with dill, cucumbers & apple cider vinegar.

Lovage – The source of the strong celery flavour found in ‘Magi’ spice & most bouillon cubes. Chop some up and add it to a chicken broth or vegetable stew.

Cinnamon basil – has a distinct cinnamon flavour, but you can use it like normal green leaf basil; also an interesting addition to vanilla ice cream for a very contemporary dessert. Try cinnamon basil pesto for a great change!

Lemon basil – has a distinct lemon flavour, but you can use it like normal green leaf basil. Go wild with experimenting with it! Like cinnamon basil, it’s a novel addition to ice cream and a great pesto base!

Thai sweet basil – use like normal green leaf basil. It’s called for in a lot of Thai food – add it, lemongrass, lime juice, green onions, chilis and coconut milk as flavourings for anything (chicken wings, noodles, etc) for a taste of Thailand!

Marjoram (Sweet) – a standby in French cooking it’s great used wherever you use thyme

Thyme –– a standby in French cooking, goes really well with tomatoes, potatoes, stir fries…

Savory (Summer) – this herb is best with meats such as lamb (from the farm store) or in sausage.

Salad Burnett – like the name, eat the leaves in salad.

1 csa good food ideas herbs and flowers … and the flowers…

Echinacea – the roots are the most potent site for the active compounds to reduce cold and flu symptoms. Later in the fall, dig up some of the root stock, (but not all since Echinacea is perennial) grate it fine, and either boil it, or soak it in vodka to make a tincture.

Calendula – the flowers are used in tincture or infusion form for healing. Take the flowers and make them into a tea, or again, steep them in vodka, and evaporate most of the alcohol off and use as a lotion with almond oil or sunflower oil to heal cuts and scrapes.

Bergamot – the flowers are the flavouring for Earl Grey tea, and are also a beautiful garnish.

St. John’s Wort – a famous "healing herb", St. John’s wort is widely used for treating depression. If you choose to use it, please be very cautious – it has been known to interact with other medications with very dangerous side effects, and large doses have been known to be extremely harmful. We encourage you to consult with a physician or herbalist before using this for anything other than a pretty bouquet!